Charley Partanna (Jack Nicholson) was born into the Prizzi family via Don Corrado Prizzi (William Hickey) accepting him as his godson while Charley was still in the neonatal ward. Charley moves up the ranks and is the family's most esteemed hit man. While attending the wedding of the grand-daughter of the Don, Charley spots a beautiful woman in the church. He gives the wedding photographer a few bucks to take some pictures of her before getting a ride to the reception courtesy of the NYPD. Charley briefly dances with this mysterious woman before she runs off to "take a phone call" and never returns. Later that night, after calling around trying to uncover her name, he receives a phone call from her. Her name is Irene Walker (Kathleen Turner) and she lives in L.A. So Charley hops on a jet and meets her for pre-dinner cocktails at a hotel the next day.
Charley is immediately smitten and at dinner, in syrupy dialogue that is non-existent in modern movies, he asks Irene to marry him. Back in New York Charley shows the photos the wedding photographer took of Irene to his father, a warm-fuzzy mobster who is the right-hand-man of the Don's son. His father smiles and immediately burns them, "she was the professional we hired to take the contract on so-and-so during the wedding." Charley's dating a hit-(wo)man. Business calls and Charley has to fly back to L.A. to recover money taken from the family in a Las Vegas casino scam orchestrated by Marxie Heller. Marxie ends up dead in a trunk and Charley waits for someone else to show up to ask about the money. That someone is Marxie's wife.....(wait for it)...Irene. So now, Charley is dating a hitwoman who has also scammed the family out of money. The movie goes on to ask the question: does love conquer all (i.e., the mob)?
What I didn't like: The fact that this movie is billed as a comedy. Granted, I laughed the whole way through the movie. However, it's more accurately a self-deprecating mob drama. It's not a spoof (see "Johnny Dangerously"); the movie comes across as completely sincere while showing the lighter side of the mob. It's not the first time it's been done. Would you call "The Soprano's" a comedy? No, but you laugh every time Paulie Walnuts and Silvio open their mouths. In the same respect, Charley Partanna is very funny in the "not too bright" mobster catagory while being very good at his job.
Otherwise, there's really nothing else I did not like. There are little things here and there that may detract from the whole, but taken as a whole this movie is great. There is one other big thing: I should point out that Kathleen Turner is not my favorite actress. I knew that going in and was prepared. Some people like her, I guess.
What I liked:
Jack Nicholson as Charley Partanna. Yes, even the accent. He's just great. And he has some great lines.
Anjelica Huston as the scorned grand-daughter of the Don. I think this was her first big role, and she was good enough to recieve an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. (The movie itself was nominated for seven, SEVEN, academy awards and won 4 Golden Globes as well as a BAFTA. Why in the world have I never heard of it until recently?!?!) Though I've excluded her role from the plot synopsis above, she plays an integral part in the movie, stirring up some family drama.
William Hickey as the Don. The make-up is hilariously bad but Hickey found the perfect role as a mafia Don.
Finally, I liked how the movie had that "classic" feel. It's directed by John Huston, of course, and there's just something about those movies - so awkward, fake, and romantic - that you can't find anymore. It's movies for the sake of movies, not for how many things explode, what's the kill count, and "you spent how many millions?" The scene at the Mexican restaurant where Charley tells Irene that the mariachi song being played will always be their song is a fitting example. I'm taken in by the indescribable power of the scene as much as I'm laughing at how hokey and contrived the dialogue is. Similarly, I love the fact that a mob movie, complete with plot twists and double crosses, works well without resorting to gimmicky surprise endings or incredible tactics a la Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen (okay, I know those aren't mob movies, but you get my drift.) "Prizzi's Honor" deals with these twists as a mobster would, using leverage and cunning and plain old extortion. No explosions, no switcheroos, no pulling the blinds over the audience to reveal the fanciful resolution. These days, it seems Hollywood wants its crime movies to leave an audience wondering what happened, "how did they get from conflict to....wait was that the end? was that the resolution?" It was quite refreshing to see this film which was shot before "The Usual Suspects" and "The Sixth Sense." Before these uber-twists, something as simple as kidnapping someone who had been kidnapped is oddly satisfying.
Watch for: Rather, "Listen for:" The music, all classical, mostly opera. Perfect. The songs are used so well, in fact, that it's hard to believe some of them weren't written for the movie. I know that's a bold statement, I stand by it. Also, if anyone can send me a pair of the "reading-glasses" Robert Loggia used in the movie I would be grateful.
"Best Wedding" Award: Charley and Irene's Vegas-style shotgun wedding ceremony complete with an a la carte menu (for flowers, photos, songs, etc.)....in Cuba.
You should see this movie if: You find yourself in a relationship with someone who is just like you and you're not sure if it's going to work out....and you're both hired assassins. Wait...wasn't that "Mr. and Mrs. Smith?" weird.
Food for thought: Does the title refer to a specific Prizzi, or the family in general? Discuss amongst yourselves.
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