Year:
2000
Studio:
Warner Brothers/
Morgan Creek
Productions/
Franchise Pictures
Feature:
3/5
DVD:
3/5
Feature
The Whole Nine Yards
is a low-key comedy starring Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis. Perry
plays Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky, a dentist married to a wife that hates
him (Sophie, played by Rosanna Arquette in full French-Canadian mode)
and a city (Montreal) that is just not the right fit for a Chicago
native.
Things get interesting when Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Willis) moves in
next door. A former contract killer for the mob, Jimmy is hiding out in
Montreal after turning States' Evidence on his boss. But there's a
rather price on Jimmy's head and Sophie maneuvers her husband into
trying to claim some sort of Finder's Fee for Tudeski's location.
But that's part of Jimmy's plan and there's the other complication for
Oz because his wife has hired another contract killer to off him for
the insurance money. And of course Oz falls in love with Jimmy's wife
Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge) who both Jimmy and current mob boss Janni
Gogolak (Kevin Pollak) are going to kill after one of them offs the
other. Add in Michael Clarke Duncan as mob hit man Frankie Figs and
Amanda Peet as Oz's dental assistant Jill St Claire and you have a very
talented cast for an independent film.
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It's a funny
situational movie hilighting Perry's comedic talents. Willis is also
great with the subtle humor, reminiscent of one his action characters
but even more serious while being funny. There is also an engaging plot
that has a couple of relatively unexpected twists. The director
commented (and I agree) that the script is good enough to be played
without the comedy and still have a good story.
DVD
Director Jonathan Lynn's commentary track is fairly good. He talks
about production and the actors and at least is not such a prude that
he doesn't even mention Amanda Peet's nude scenes. There are 1-1/2 to
2-1/2 minute interview clips with Willis, Perry, Duncan, Henstridge,
Peet, and Lynn — for the most part all seem short because they are
short. The theatrical trailer is also included.
Recommendations
It's a good movie. Comedy, romance, suspense with a stellar cast and
interesting plot. I don't like most comedies but this is a movie that I
do like. So I think people should watch it.
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