Things Change

Things change is a bunch of untalented actors coming together on such a nothing of a film. Has moments of humour, but nothing memorable. Jerry keeps escalating matters unnecessarily, never doing anything to prevent it.

Things Change, 1988 *Spoiler/plot- The mob need a patsy to help in a mob murder. The mob gunman takes the patsy wants a special trip to enjoy his life before he needs to do his job for the mob boss. *Special Stars- Don Ameche, Joe Mantegna, Robert Prosky, William H. Macy, WRITER- David Mamet. *Theme- Honesty solves most foreseen problems. *Trivia/location/goofs- Was Don Ameche's last role on film to end his great career. *Emotion- A wonderfully charming film full of great developed characters and great with many sensible plot twists. Very satisfying and fulfilling. *Based On- Mob dealings of the time.

Most of us come from families who came from the old country with practically nothing. Naturally, our grandparents worked from dawn to dusk to survive in the new land and make a better life for the kids. It was the generations that followed that caught the American disease of wanting to become a "somebody" as a substitute for the integrity of the Old World that was left behind. The paradox of this film, the paradox of achieving "the American Dream", of "building this great nation" is that after all the generations of struggle for position, money, and importance, we wake up and realize that it's all empty, that simple integrity and friendship are all that mean anything, that our fore-fathers had that in the beginning. It has been said that in order to save one's life one must loose it....

Maybe I'm a sucker being a Don Ameche fan, but, I completely enjoyed the flick. It was light, great entertainment. There was no message or hidden meanings, nothing that is going to be compared to Citizen Kane or The Godfather. It's fun seeing William H. Macy in an early role. It's fun seeing Joe Mantegna in a role he perfectly fits into. I had a smile on my face at the end of the movie. That is a winner in my book. No big twists in the movie, it pretty much turns out as you expect it to. But, if you don't have a great liking, if not a love, for Don Ameche's character by the end of the movie, then you probably hate Frank Capra movies, also.

Gino (Don Ameche) is a simple shoe shiner with a small store. A man has been murdered and there are two witnesses. The killer turns out to be a mobster and Gino's doppelganger. Mob boss Mr. Green gives Gino an offer he can't refuse. Gino wants a boat. In exchange, he is to take the fall and go to prison for three years. Low ranking mobster Jerry (Joe Mantegna) is ordered to guard and prepare him. Jerry decides to show him a good time but it gets out of hand. The original deal makes little sense. I don't see 3 years for a murder and the boat thing seems non-specific. It's all a little unreal. I'm guessing that the movie is meant to be a little surreal and a little quirky. Gino is meant to be simple but it's hard for Ameche to play dumb. In the end, I really like this pairing. Their low key chemistry is really nice. The details of everything needs some more work but the most important aspect is the two leads. I love these two actors and that goes a long way.

In "Things Change" David Mamet applies his direct, unique directorial style to the classic "Being There." Each is similar thematically, and each leave the viewer with a sense of wonder and affection (for either the film or the characters), however Mamet is not quite as effective as Hal Ashby in that respect. Mamet uses his friends in many of the roles as in many of his movies, and they all fit perfectly. The cast is as strong as the writing and direction, which you know Mamet has filled with surprises. This is a movie that is entertaining and rewarding, a combination seen all too infrequently in modern films.