Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Jack Nicholson | ... | Charley Partanna | |
Kathleen Turner | ... | Irene Walker | |
Robert Loggia | ... | Eduardo Prizzi | |
John Randolph | ... | Angelo 'Pop' Partanna | |
William Hickey | ... | Don Corrado Prizzi | |
Lee Richardson | ... | Dominic Prizzi | |
Michael Lombard | ... | Rosario Filargi 'Finlay' | |
Anjelica Huston | ... | Maerose Prizzi | |
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George Santopietro | ... | Plumber |
Lawrence Tierney | ... | Lt. Hanley | |
CCH Pounder | ... | Peaches Altamont (as C.C.H. Pounder) | |
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Ann Selepegno | ... | Amalia Prizzi |
Vic Polizos | ... | Phil Vittimizzare | |
Dick O'Neill | ... | Bluestone | |
Sully Boyar | ... | Casco Vascone |
Charley Partanna is a hit-man who works for the Prizzis, one of the richest crime syndicate families in the country. Unbeknownst to Charley,the Prizzis just hired Irene Walker, a free-lance killer, to eliminate someone who double-crossed them. When Irene and Charley fall in love their jobs become complicated. Their jobs become impossible when each is given a contract that neither can go through with. Written by Tiff Banks
So many films glorify the mafia, even those like 'Goodfellas' which pull no punches still allow a residue of glamour to stick to their portrayal of the wise-guy life. So 'Prizzi's Honor', which ridicules its protagonists and shows them to be anything but wise, is a welcome sort of mafia film. Unfortunately, although it's reasonably entertaining, the film ultimately doesn't wholly succeed in any respect; too daft to work as black comedy, too slow to work as riotous farce, to humorously conceived to work as tragic drama. Jack Nicholson is good as the dumb hit man Charley, but the plot leaves us unsure whether we should laugh at him or cry with him, and in the end I felt inclined to do neither. Personally, I prefer Jim Jarmusch's 'Ghost Dog', another offbeat look at organised crime.