(a collaborative review by JIMBELL and wonga).
Even though An Everlasting Piece (2000) is set in Northern Ireland instead of Baltimore, it's a quintessential Barry Levinson film, i.e. it addresses serious issues humorously.
Barry Levinson should be, but doesn't seem to be, recognized as a leading director. Not because of his Oscar nominations for Bugsy, And Justice For All, Diner, and Rain Man (win) but because he often tries to present substantial social concerns with a lighthearted touch. Consider, for example, Levinson's film before An Everlasting Piece, Liberty Heights (1999). Levinson wrote the screenplay for the film because what he considered an anti-semitic comment regarding one of his films made him very "angry." The resulting script about diverse ethnic groups in Baltimore in 1954 was funny enough that when producer Paula Weinstein read it on an L.A. to N.Y. flight she "was hysterical."
Maybe Barry Levinson isn't recognized as a "leading" director because he isn't consistent. But, although he makes some films that don't measure up in the opinion of the critics and the public, they are always interesting, An Everlasting Piece included. The story of two hairpiece salesmen in Northern Ireland who are sometimes in conflict mirrors another of Levinson's films, the classic Tin Men. That movie, which is also a period film (circa 1963), tells the story of another duo of salesmen who are in competition. Whereas the Irish salesmen are green and new to the sales game, Tilley (Danny DeVito) and BB (Richard Dreyfuss) are pros and know all the tricks to closing a sale, some of which aren't exactly above board. However, the movie is set at a time when the rules are changing for selling aluminum siding and the scams and cons they use to make their sales are no longer being tolerated. By the end of the movie their world of Cadillacs, cigars, long lunch breaks, and going to the track is pretty much coming to an end and they have to consider their future and what might be next. Both films have great dialogue, a Levinson trademark, and when the tin men are in the diner shooting the breeze you'll be reminded of another of his great Baltimore movies, Diner.
With Levinson's love of tackling issues with a lighthearted approach, you can see why the script for An Everlasting Piece appealed to him. It's about two barbers who try to gain a monopoly on hairpiece sales in Northern Ireland in the 1980s when strife was tearing the country apart. Colm (Barry McEvoy) is Roman Catholic and his new business partner, George (Brian F. O'Byrne), is Protestant, which they figure should give them an in with every bald guy in Northern Ireland. McEvoy, who wrote the script based on his grandfather's experiences, wanted to get both sides in the conflict laughing at each other.
However, presenting a heavy subject with a light touch leaves one open to lots of criticism:
- Not funny enough.
- Not serious enough.
- The comic and dramatic don't go together.
And then, as with any film essentially from another country, there is always the question of whether the humor translates for an American audience. While you'll hear this movie criticized for reasons 1, 2, and 3, the real problem is a cultural one. For one thing, the humor is understated. Lines that are "thrown away," as we would say, would probably be cherished by a UK audience. Also some of the humor comes from the Irish tradition of storytelling and some episodes in the film have the flavor of well-polished barroom tales that started out true and have since gained in conviviality what they've lost in veracity.