Cheap The Impostors (DVD) (Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt) (Stanley Tucci) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Impostors

A charming, old-fashioned style comedy
This is the type of comedy I wish were made more often. Two hard on their luck actors, Tucci and Platt, enrage a drunken, ham, Shakespearean actor Jeremy Burmont(played wonderfully by Alfred Molina), and in the ensuing chase, find themselves stowaways aboard a luxury liner bound for Paris and intrigue. The two soon come to realize that Burmont is a passenger and is aware of their presence. In their many failed attempts to hide from their assailant, the two come across a motley population of passengers and crew all of whom have their own little secrets, many of which are worth killing for. There are many clever lines and scenes in this little gem of a film. It's really all very harmless fun with a happy ending to boot. Tucci and Platt make a wonderful team, the former having both written and directed. If you like films like "Some Like It Hot" or "Bullets Over Broadway," I can guarantee you'll truly enjoy "The Impostors." Incidentally, the roster of stars who appear in this film is very impressive; from Woody Allen to Isabella Rosellini. Sit back, relax and be prepared for a journey filled with high jinx and good-natured comedy.

Laurel & Hardy Meets Lubitsch, But It Somehow Doesn't Work
This comedy should have been great. Actually, it starts wonderfully, with Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt playing unemployed actors during the Depression-era, and the opening credits show a brilliant Laurel and Hardy-like silent comedy. Then, the film traces their struggle to keep their heads above water, with assorted episodes of their life, one of which include a big surprise cameo of W.A. who plays a henpecked stage director. So far, everything is really great.

Then "The Impostors" gradually loses its power though it never fails to be charming. The pair go to see one of the most terrible stage of Hamlet (done by Alfred Molina), and after being mistaken for criminal for assaulting this ham, they accidentally find themselved on the ocean line leaving for Paris. On this ship, Tucci and Pratt meet many, many strange characters. I only cite the names of actors: Steve Buscemi (as suicidal 'Happy' Frank, who entertains us with crooning), Isabella Rossellini, Lili Taylor, Cambell Scott, Tony Shalhoub, Billy Connolly, Hope Davis and others.

The star/director Stanley Tucci is always amusing with manic turns, and so is Pratt, but the screwball comedy situaltion which directors like Ernst Lutbisch was good at needs quite a sophisticated and tightly-woven script. "The Impostors" doesn't have that, and as the film nears to the end, it becomes more like a farce, which itself is not bad, and I like that kind of comdey, but the lack of polished story is painfully obvious when we see Connolly plays a tennis pro (and Greek) whose character is based on now hackneyed gay jokes.

"The Impostors" is not a bad film. It shows intelligence of the director, and there are some brilliant moments. But it stops short before the lofty aim of ressurrecting the old-style comedy.