The Grifters is the first American film by Irish director Stephen Frears, best known for a series of dramadies of urban Irish life starring future Star Trek actor Colm Meany. But this isn't just a film set in America, it's fiercly American, maybe in only a way a non-native could see the country.
While I was watching the film, I began to formulate my review. The opening line was going to be "The Grifters is the funniest movie I have seen in a long time", and the first hour is funny and brillant. But then Frears stars playing the matieral straight, and the movie becomes conventional, well done, but something we've seen before.
The Grifters begins as a hilarous parody of crime movies. Based on a novel by noted crime novelist Jim Thompson (who also co-wrote the scripts for The Killing and Paths of Glory) the material certainly lends itself to parody. Roy (John Cusack) is a small time con artist who is happily in a relationship Myra, a prostitue (Annette Benning). Roy first learned the ways of crime in childhood from his mom, Lilly (Anjelica Huston), a major leuge criminal who cheats on horse racing. One day, Lilly decides to deceive her boss Bobo (Pat Hingle), and keep the money for herself. Needing a place to hide, she descends on Roy, saving his life (he needed medical treatment and couldn't pay for it), but then makes him wish she hadn't.
The situions in this movie is so redicoulus that it really lends itself to comedy, and the three leads and Frears play the dry humor to the hilt- we know exactly what movie we are in when we see a splitscreen early on. There are some truly funny insult jokes, particurly in scenes between Myra and Lilly.
But then Frears decides turn the movie into a real crime caper, and play his absurd, near Cronenberg-level situtions straight. This part of the movie is good, but it pales in comparison to what went before. The entire second half of the film is also an elaborate homage to Psycho, which I respected on a cineaste level but think is in unessessary.
Still the first half is so good that it's certanly worth a rental. It doesn't even really fall apart, it's just that hour one is magic, making anything that follows it a letdown.
The Grifters (1990)