Displaying items by tag: Potsy Poncirillo

GREEDY PEOPLE

US, 2024, 112 minutes, Colour.

Himesh Patel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lily James, Uzo Aduba, Tim Blake Nelson, Simon Rex, Jim Gaffigan, Joey Lauren Adams.

Directed by Potsy Ponciroli.

The title is absolutely correct. And, there is only one of the principal characters who is not greedy.

This reviewer had read only the cast list before seeing the film but, about 15 minutes in, the title Fargo came to mind, thoughts about the Coen Brothers and their style of filmmaking. (And, then reading the comments and reviews, practically everybody thought of Fargo and the Coen Brothers!).

Once you’re on the wavelength of Greedy People, there is no turning back. Screenplay, by Mike Vukadinovich, is cleverly funny, situations highly contrived but that is part of the enjoyment. And, gradual revelation of links between the various characters and their behaviour, the consequences of greed (and husband organising the murder of his wife also reminiscent of Fargo) becoming more humorously deadly as the film goes on. This is entertaining black humour.

At the opening, we are introduced to a sympathetic young policeman on his first day in a small town in Providence, Will he ia played by British actor, Himesh Patel. His wife, played by British Lily James, is pregnant. And then he meets his partner, one of the brashest to the brash, Terry, played by a very nonchalant Joseph Gordon Levitt, a walking satire of verified self-importance.

Answering a police call, and misinterpreting it, Will becomes involved in a scenario that he could never have imagined. He calls Terry – and thus begins a series of choices that will lead to disaster, greed, violence and general mayhem which makes greedy People both interesting and funny.

There is a good supporting cast, especially Tim Blake Nelson as the fish Baron of the town (and Tim Blake Nelson had played the  title character in the director, Potsy Poncirili’s western, Old Henry). Among the supporting characters is an awkward masseur, Simon Rex, under the domination of his religion mother. There is hit man in the town, philosophical but deadly, played by Jim Gaffigan, The Irishman. And there is his Colombian counterpart who, apparently, has jurisdiction in the town for hits. There is the fish Baron’s ambitious secretary. There is also  Uza Aduba who is the good one, the police chief.

So, with memories of the Coen Brother films, tantalising situations, ironic and satiric dialogue, audiences can sit back and enjoy the mayhem until the final macabre, laugh-out-loud image and a nice postscript, perhaps another tribute to the Coens, with Raising Arizona.

1. The title? Tone? Expectations?
2. The satire, the irony is, linking to the Coen brothers, Fargo?
3. The variety of chapters, the focus on each character?
4. The introduction to Will, bloodshot eye, his relationship with Paige, her pregnancy, his first day? The revelation about his father and the stealing of money? Murphy as the boss, solid and reliable? The introduction to Terry? Terry and his style, forthright, the talk, the copies and meals, going to see the Chinese lady, the rendezvous, the loud music, Will responding to the call, thinking it a burglary, going to the house, the woman and her cutting the carrots, his entry, her fear, the shooting, the fight, her fall, the wound to her head, her death? Calling Terry, is arriving, discovering the bag of money, the plan, roughing up the house, inheriting the money in the locker, noting the missing bike? Getting an alibi, holding up the driver, the fierce argument, the time?
5. The character, Terry, life, bullied at school, becoming a policeman, 16 years, his personal style, bravado, unselfconscious, the relationship with the Chinese woman, her husband? The situation, the money, the locker, owed? His coming to dinner, the encounter with Paige, the threats, killing the dog?
6. The husband, Chetlow his grief, his being interrogated, the revelation of the truth, hiring the Colombian hitman, the payments, at work, the secretary, the affair, the plan? The Colombian, the truth about his not doing the murder? 48 hours for payment? The suspicions of the Mass are?
7. The masseur, suspicious, the meeting, his explanation himself, his work, the dancing, the sex, his mother intervening, having seen the money, escaping on his bike?
8. Paige, pregnant, painting the house, doing the shopping, the information about the Irishman? Will telling her the story but blaming Terry? The invitation to dinner, Terry at the talk, the threats, the death of the dog? The decision, going to the Irishman, the talk, his philosophising and rationale about killing, the local areas for hitmen? Her getting the money, $50,000 to pay him?
9. Will, disturbed in the night, the masseur, observing hetlow, the secretary, mother, the shootings, the secretary shooting? Everybody dead? His phoning Terry? The phone calls to page? The confrontation between Will and Terry, Terry shooting him?
10. The phone calls, Murphy, pursuit, and the shooting, Will dead?
11. Terry, confronting the Irishman, the fight, the Chinese woman defending him, shooting the Irishman?
12. Murphy, the tracking, her arrival, confrontation with Terry? His menacing Paige, her shooting him?
13. The hospital, the birth, page wanting to abscond with the money? The Colombian arriving, taking the money, killing Paige the elevator? The secretary, going to the lift? Murphy waiting, the noise, the lift opening, the two dead, the money scattered?
14. The nice ending, Murphy and her caring then for the baby, the back story of the death of her child?

OLD HENRY

US, 2021, 99 minutes, Colour.

Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins, Stephen Dorff, Richard Speight Jr, Max Arciniega.

Directed by Potsy Poncirolli.

There is an interesting and entertaining reveal at the end of this film for those who do not recognise Henry McCarty. For those who do, the film is an interesting piece of creative history.

This is the changing west. It is 1906. Three men with sheriffs’ badges torture and hang a man for information and then pursue another. And then we are introduced to Henry McCarty, a wonderful performance by long-time character actor, Tim Blake Nelson. His voice-over explains his background (though a lot more to be revealed by the end of the film). He is widowed. He has a teenage son who is angry with him, wanting some independence from his rather stern and commanding, hard-working father.

They discover the pursued man, wounded, a gun, a sack full of money. They tend to him. But, as expected, the posse turn up, confrontations, the abduction of Henry’s brother-in-law, the posse hiring guns from the local town.

The odds seem impossible. The pursued man joins in the defence. So does the son. However, quite spectacularly in its way, Henry is able to dispose of the whole posse. And, then the reveal.

A small Western, not so well-known, emerging and the Covid era, but well worth seeing, a continuation of Western themes.

1. The title, Henry McCarty, the final revelation of his identity?
2. The mood of the opening, the posse, sheriffs, the torture and hanging of the fleeing man? The continued pursuit?
3. The contrast with the introduction to Henry, his wife’s grave, with his son, Wyatt, the continued work, the son’s rebellion, the impositions of his father? The detail of the farm work? The boy wanting his independence?
4. The wandering and bloodstained horse, Henry and his search, finding Curry, the money, decisions? Bringing him back, tending his wound, hiding the stolen money, Wyatt spying on his father? Henry going to the doctor, Wyatt taking the gun and shooting practice? The posse and Henry’s return?
5. The membership of the posse, Ketchum as leader, brutal, the Spanish scout and his skills, the confrontation with Henry? Backing off?
6. Tending Curry, consciousness, explanation who we was, the law? The others as bank robbers? His telling the story of his background, Henry believing him, feeding him, freeing him?
7. Dugan, impatient, scouting the house, the shooting, Henry outwitting him, feeding him to the pigs?
8. Preparation for the siege, Ketchum returning with the posse, the confrontation, the talk, the plot? The shooting? Curry wounded, Wyatt wounded? Henry going out, single-handed, destroying each member of the group, the scout and his surrender, death, Henry running, Ketchum in pursuit, confrontation?
9. The phone with Curry, revealing his true self, the memories of Billy the Kid, stories, he shooting Henry?
10. A saga of the west? And the tie in with the stories of Billy the Kid?