The Impostors
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The Impostors is a 1998 farce motion picture written and directed by Stanley Tucci, starring Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, and Billy Connolly.
The film, in which Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci play a Laurel and Hardy-like odd couple of out-of work actors, is set in the depression-era 1930s; indeed, the retro style of the film is very much a recreation of the 30s screwball comedy. The opening silent sequence, in particular, harks back to the golden days of silent film.
Plot details
Arthur (Tucci) and Maurice (Platt), two out-of-work actors, scrape a living by petty swindles and practice their acting technique whenever opportunity presents. Following a drunken confrontation with pretentious and dreadful Shakespearean actor Sir Jeremy Burtom (Alfred Molina), they are forced to hide as stowaways on a cruise ship. Unfortunately for the duo, Burtom himself turns out to be a passenger on the ship, along with a vividly diverse ensemble of larger-than-life characters — Steve Buscemi plays a suicidal lounge singer named Happy Franks who sobs through a song; Billy Connolly is an ageing gay tennis star who enjoys wrestling "in the Greek style" — that is, naked; Tony Shalhoub is the first mate who is also a mad bomber with his own language; and many more.
Mistaken identities, pratfalls, slapstick, and general mayhem ensue. Although the plotting is undeniably light, the film is a warm-hearted and charming tribute to the early days of film comedy, fuelled by the eclectic mix of characters, who (as the title suggests) all turn out to be impostors of some kind; but it is the very diversity of the ensemble which turns out to be the film's central point.
Despite the star-studded cast (among the uncredited cameos are Woody Allen as a neurotic casting director), the critical reception of the film was generally negative. However, a core of critics and fans alike connected with the 30s-era style of filmmaking, and continue to rate it highly.
Cast and roles include
- Oliver Platt — Maurice
- Stanley Tucci — Arthur
- Walker Jones — Maitre D'
- Jessica Walling — Attractive Woman
- David Lipman — Baker in Kramer's Pastries
- E. Katherine Kerr — Gertrude in "Hamlet"
- George Guidall — Claudius in "Hamlet"
- William Hill — Bernardo in "Hamlet"
- Alfred Molina — Sir Jeremy Burtom
- Michael Emerson — Burtom's Assistant
- Jack O'Connell — Stage Manager
- Matt Malloy — Mike/Laertes in "Hamlet"
- Ted Blumberg — Francisco in "Hamlet"
- Lili Taylor — Lily 'Lil'
- Tony Shalhoub — Voltri, First Mate
- Teagle F. Bougere — Sheik
- Elizabeth Bracco — Pancetta Leaky
- Steve Buscemi — Happy Franks
- Allison Janney — Maxine
- Matt McGrath — Detective Marco
- Richard Jenkins — Johnny Leguard
- Isabella Rossellini — The Veiled Queen
- Campbell Scott — Meistrich
- Billy Connolly — Mr. Sparks, the Tennis Pro
- Woody Allen — Audition Director (uncredited)
External links
- [San Francisco Chronicle], a negative review of the film
- [James Berardinelli's ReelViews], a positive review
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