Thoughts on Prizzi's Honor

via IMDB

"If only Marxie could see me now."
"What's so funny?
"Me marrying a Sicilian. I can hear him. He always used to say, 'The Jews are bad enough in this business ... but the Sicilians'd rather eat their children than part with money. And they're very fond of their children.'"
"If Marxie Heller is so fucking smart, how come he's so fucking dead?"

About two weeks ago, I was on the phone with my dad. We were talking about my travel plans for the rest of the year, namely whether or not I was coming back to Michigan for Christmas. I told him I wasn't, repeating the detailed explanation I gave him on Christmas Day last year.

I'm staying in North Dakota this year, as in the past, I've gotten to go away for Christmas and it's my colleague's turn. This idea was suggested (or perhaps "suggested") by my boss last year and I figured eh, why not? Besides, I'm intending this to be my last Christmas in North Dakota, anyway. Dad claimed I hadn't told him until we talked. If I wasn't convinced he straight-up forgot (to be fair, it's not that easy to remember in May what was said in December), I'd swear he was gaslighting me.

Anyway, during my usual Sunday call last week, I reminded/informed him that I planned to come home for a few days in September to celebrate me and my brother's birthdays. I know I mentioned that at Christmas, but hey, if he thinks he influenced me, what's the harm? Dad's always been hurt that my brother cut him out of his life when my parents divorced and rarely misses an opportunity to ask about him. Sometimes I twist the knife a bit (Dad didn't like that I referred to my brother as "the family boomerang"), other times I indulge. During this last call, I mentioned watching Prizzi's Honor.

"You know what I really liked in that movie, Dad? The relationship between Jack Nicholson and John Randolph. Here they are, surrounded by deceit and corruption, I mean, cause they're in the mob, and yet Charley and Pop clearly adore each other."

As usual, subtlety be damned. My background is closer to Polish girl Irene (Kathleen Turner) than Charley (Nicholson), Maerose (Anjelica Huston) or the rest of the Prizzi's, but I think I understand living a life where nothing is forgotten and the emotions are always elevated. Prizzi's Honor, directed by John Huston with a screenplay by Richard Condon and Janet Roach from Condon's novel, is a movie that at times plays like an opera without the score. There's music in Honor, of course. But I'll bet you could follow the plot well enough with just the images and the actors' physical performances.

*Maerose feigns being a haggard spinster to fool her despised papa, Dominic (Lee Richardson)*
"Geez, Mae. You look awful. ... My beautiful daughter's turned into an old woman. Charley Partana did this to you. He had a chance to become part of the Prizzi family. He had no use for you."
*Dominic has just sprung the trap*
"Oh, he had a use for me, Papa. He came to my place in New York the night before he left to marry the woman in California. And he forced himself on me. And he did it to me."
"... Did it to you?"
"Yeah, Papa. He screwed me, three times, maybe four, I can't remember."
"Wash out your filthy mouth, you hear! How can you say such things to your own father? ... He done that to you? Charley? You sure?"
"Am I sure? Papa, you should see the size of him! You should!"
*Dominic's not feeling well. By the end of the scene, he'll have chest pains*
"Shut up! How can you say such things to your father? Where's your honor?"
"Are you kidding, Papa? I have no honor anymore."

For most of its run, Prizzi's Honor glides by with audacity and confidence. It really is a funny movie about scum. Unfortunately, it's also a considerably long (130 minutes) movie about scum. The pacing becomes more slack in the last third, which I thought lessened much of the tension leading up to the last scenes. That said, I wouldn't want to lose the conversation between Charley and Irene where he learns she wants to keep $900,000 in money the Prizzis feel entitled to. She's already on thin ice for accidentally disrupting the peace between law enforcement and the families (talk about your unlucky shots!), not to mention being wary of Charley's imminent promotion to boss of the Prizzis. Marriage counseling sessions have been fueled by less. Then again, that's probably not the Partanas' style. An agile couple, yes. A totally open couple, no.

Honor has an excellent ensemble. Nicholson's playing a guy who's not that smart, who we know is not that smart and we're not going to get any hints from the star or his movie that he's in on the joke. Charley is one of his best performances. Turner and Anjelica Huston are also appealing as Irene and Maerose. In some ways, the women complement each other. They're Charley's past, present and future lovers, each acts in her own self-interest and their schemes often tend to depend on their femininity. Still, Irene is an outsider looking in. Maerose, estranged or not, is an insider lashing out.

The romantic leads are joined by no less than four ace supporting actors. I've already praised John Randolph as Charley's beloved "Pop." There's also Richardson and Robert Loggia as Dominic and his brother, Eduardo. The Prizzi boys are another example of duality. Dominic's involved in the dirty work, including the violent fallout from Irene accidentally breaching an arrangement between the underworld and law enforcement. Eduardo has the cover of legitimacy.

Finally, we have William Hickey as Don Corrado Prizzi. Next to Alex North's classics-heavy and more than a little satirical score, Hickey's performance is the best sustained joke in Honor. The Don dominates all and as with the characterization of Nicholson, there's no exertion needed to sell the idea. I like when confidence comes across on screen.

I've got no clue if my dad will remember my explanation about not coming home for Christmas. I've also got not clue if he's remembered all along and is trying to manipulate me a little. What I do know is that sometimes things are just business. And at the other end can be something wonderful.

"Holy cow, Charley, just tell me where you want to meet!"

Recommended with reservations.

Thoughts:

-- "Watch out for them cannolis there."

-- Box Office: Grossing nearly $26.7 million on a $16 million budget, this opened at No. 4 (if I'm reading Box Office Mojo right) and came in at No. 32 for the year.

-- Critic's Corner, the film: I reckon this was the most acclaimed movie of 1985. "Delivers a kind of high most commonly associated with controlled substances, or with works of art of liberating imagination," Vincent Canby wrote. Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times: "To say the film is the treasure of the year would be to badmouth it in this disastrous season." People: "A daring, deliciously demented black comedy." David Edelstein, Rolling Stone: "It's the year's best film by a crooked mile." Pauline Kael: "You can feel a prickly excitement in the theatre. It's the kind of excitement that makes you say, 'God, I love movies' -- or, at least, 'God, I love this movie.'"

-- Critic's Corner, the leads: "Mr. Nicholson's work is as good as anything he's ever done," according to Canby. Rita Kempley, Washington Post: "He creates the most memorable gangster since Brando's Godfather. He might even have used the same cotton balls." "Turner ... now can step to the head of her acting class," Gene Siskel wrote. "Turner is glorious, the sexiest presence in movies right now and a prodigious actress to boot," People declared. Anjelica Huston played Maerose, the magazine continued, "with career-making panache." Kael: "Anjelica Huston is an inspired comedienne."

-- Critic's Corner, John Huston: Honor "simply demonstrates the extraordinary, continuing vitality of this amazing filmmaker, now 78 and never better," Canby wrote. People: "You can almost see him grinning wickedly behind the camera at these grotesque goings-on." The only thing that would suggest that a veteran director was calling the shots, according to Kael, "is the assurance of his control ... It's as if his satirical spirit had become irrepressible -- the devil in him made him do it."

-- Awards Watch: This received more recognition from the Golden Globes than the Oscars. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association awarded Honor for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy, John Huston's direction and Nicholson and Turner's performances. Anjelica Huston and the screenplay received nominations. Anjelica went on to win the movie's only Oscar, while her father, Nicholson, Hickey, the movie, the screenplay, the costumes and the editing were all also-rans. While North was not nominated for Best Original Score, he did receive an honorary Oscar for his career's work. Anjelica also received a BAFTA nomination, with the screenplay scoring a win.

-- Following her Oscar win, Anjelica co-hosted Saturday Night Live with Billy Martin. The episode included a "host sketch" where she played Maerose promoting Halmark's new organized crime-themed greeting cards. The line includes selections for the men named Vinny in your life ("To my husband, Vinny. To my uncle, Vinny. To my cousin, Vinny.") and couples. "Honey, what's wit'chu? *opens card* Hey, I'm talkin' to you." "Hallmark. When you care enough to say *bites finger*"

-- Memorable Music: We're at 21-15, still in favor of songs written for movies. Honor gets two entries in the non-original category, for the movie's full score and "Noche di Ronda (Be Mine Tonight)," Charley and Irene's song. 

-- Turner and Loggia spoke positively of making Honor during their Random Roles interviews. Actors were allowed to work out their blocking and/or performances, but that didn't mean John Huston was directing in name only. Kathleen, who was repeatedly beaten at backgammon by John, said she loved working with a talented professional like Nicholson. "All I had to do was my role. I didn't have to worry about him at all." Robert, meanwhile, was directed by John to work with Anjelica. "He felt, I guess, uncomfortable doing it himself."

-- Hey, It's ...!: Lawrence Tierney, CCH Pounder, Dick O'Neill and Stanley Tucci.

-- "Charley, I've been doin' three to four hits a year for the past couple of years, most at full pay." "That many?" "Well, it's not many when you consider the size of the population."

-- Next Weekend: Cocoon, Return to Oz. On deck: St. Elmo's Fire, Pale Rider.