I just realized that I hadn't done one of these in a while. Since February, to be exact. I also didn't realize that I'd not written a review for one of Sylvester Stallone's long forgotten gems:
Oscar. I absolutely adore this movie! All the characters are great, the plot is crazy and fun, and the humor is overflowing. Even the look of the film is great. The location is on a humongous studio lot, in Orlando, if I'm not mistaken, but the mansion that the majority of the film takes place in is absolutely phenominal. Every inch of this place is gorgeous. I WANT THIS HOUSE!!!!
Oscar is the story of a Prohibition-era Chicago gangster trying his best to "go straight." Sly himself plays Angelo "Snaps" Provolone, the bootlegging wiseguy dealing with new problems every minute. So much happens in the course of one day that it takes repeated viewings to catch it all. Good thing, too, because repeat viewings are so much fun! This film falls into the category of quotables. There are just so many. Almost every character has at least one funny line.
The skinny is as follows: Angelo decides to become a banker, buying into a bank to get on its board of directors. His accountant stole $50,000 from him to ensure his marriage to Snaps' daughter. Of course, Snaps is hugely angry at this, but eventually he goes along with it. The cops are watching Snaps closely because they still don't believe he's truly gone straight. A rival mob boss is itching to take out the Provolone clan because he is informed that Snaps is hooking up with another mob from Chicago, so they end up causing more trouble for Sly and Co. Snaps finds out from his daughter that she is pregnant with Oscar's child. Oscar is their former chauffer who was fired and joined the Army, so he is out of the picture. In all honesty, the pregnancy was a front just so Snaps' daughter could get out of the house she is so "stifled" in. All the while, Snaps is being fitted for a new suit in preparation for the bankers' meeting with him. The bankers are mistaken for the Chicago mob, and a little black bag moves in and out of the Provolone house all day, tricking the cops into thinking that mob deals are happening within. Many mixups ensue.
There is just so much to this movie. There's even some inside jokes. At one point, Sly's character gets elocution lessons from a linguist to help improve his manner of speech, but to no avail. Angelo laments that he'll "never learn to speak good."
A plethora of fine actors fill this film's casting couch. Along with Sly are the great Don Amece, the great Kirk Douglas, the great Peter Riegert, the great Tim Curry, the great Kirkwood Smith, the great Eddie Bracken, and the super funny Chazz Palminteri. Chazz' performance as Connie, the loveable but blockheaded wiseguy is one for the record books. One of the funniest scenes involves Connie's unwillingness to disarm. He is forced to empty his pockets of every last implement of distruction, and you'll bust a gut watching him reveal his secret stash. I think I even saw a mace in there!
Tim Curry also gets some funny lines. The most effective of which is during an argument in the foyer between Snaps, his wife Sofia, and Father Clemente. As Snaps calls out "Doctor Poole!", Sofia returns in horror "Doctor Poole?" and Dr. Poole (Tim Curry) zips to the upstairs railing and answers down "Hello!!!", in his squeaky British voice... perfection achieved!
Another fun character is Aldo, played by Peter Riegert. He's like a cross between Peter Lorre and Bugs Bunny. He munches on an unlit cigar for most of the movie, spoutin' gangster rhetoric from out the side of his mouth. Anthony pushes him aside at one point, and Aldo raises his hand in comically dramatic fashion "Why I oughtta!!" Just too funny.
And Aldo gets the last great observation: "This day has been an emotional rollercoaster."
That's what this movie is. A comedic rollercoaster.
