Overlooked Movies: Prizzi's Honor

I find it hard to believe that this movie is nearly 30 years old.  Seems like only yesterday that Judy and I went to see it in a Loew's theater, but the theater's been gone for 20 years now, so what can I say?  Time flies.

We both enjoyed the movie quite a bit.  I've never read the Richard Condon novel, but the movie is a mafia comedy, a caper film, a romantic comedy, a hit man (and woman) movie, and probably a few other things I'm missing.  Scattered?  Sure, but it worked for me. 

One thing that makes it work so well is the famed Nicholson charisma, even when he's playing a not-too-bright character (just the kind Kathleen Turner said she liked in another good movie).  He's doing a comic turn here, and he's great.  So are a radiant Kathleen Turner and a smoldering Anjelica Houston, and so is the entire cast.  What a great ensemble the casting director put together for this one.

I'm not going to try to describe the plot.  Let's just say that Nicholson falls for Turner, and complications ensue.  Lots of them.  You'll wonder right up to the end if she's playing him or not (well, maybe not you, but I did).  

The worst thing about many of the trailers for this movie (not the one below, however) is that they gave away the climactic scene.  What a misstep that was.  But if you haven't seen the movie before, you won't be bothered by it.  Even having seen it, I had a great time at the movie.