Review of Prizzi's Honor (1985) by Filipeneto — 16 Jan 2022

This film was released in 1985, at a time when mob movies were still in vogue and light romantic comedies were much more highly regarded than they are today. The plot revolves around a couple who fall in love and quickly marry: it turns out that both are professional killers in pay from the same mob family, the Prizzi (any resemblance to the Corleones is obviously no coincidence). Of course, everything looks fine, but the day comes when the heads of the family start to complicate their romance to the point where they demand that they kill each other.

Personally, and I'm going to be very honest, I expected a lot more from this movie. The mob premise is nice, and I really like Mob movies, but it's missed by a script that just can't write a compelling romantic story with some fun and movement. The film wastes a lot of time on insipid dialogues, and there are loads of scenes that look like they were inserted just to add some extra length. The pace is heavy, slow and tiring, and the plot, after a certain point, completely loses its interest.

The cast includes several big names in the industry, starting with Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner. The two deftly secure co-protagonism here, and are very good at their work, individually... but I felt their chemistry doesn't work and there isn't an overwhelming passion there. They're as warm as possible together, and that doesn't give the characters' romance any authenticity. The film also features an interesting work by William Hickey and Lee Richardson, two good actors to watch closely. Much less happy, Anjelica Huston seems completely lost here, despite looking magnificent.