Film Review: Oscar (1991)

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If you are a popular action star and want to prove that you could be star of comedies too, perhaps it is not the best idea to play the role which had been already played by true genius of film comedy. Sylvester Stallone learned this the hard way after starring in Oscar, 1991 film directed by John Landis.

Film is based on the eponymous 1958 stage play by French author Charles Magnier, which was in 1967 adapted into eponymous French film starring legendary comedian Louis de Funes. The Hollywood remake is set in 1931 America and the protagonist, played by Stallone, is Italian American gang boss Angelo “Snaps” Provolone. The plot begins when he visits his old father (played by Kirk Douglas) at his deathbed and promises that he would leave the life of crime and go straight. Snaps’ plan is to liquidate his criminal empire and invest all of the money in order to become partner of legitimate bank. As he is about to this, he is suddenly faced with series of domestic and financial problems. His accountant Anthony Rossano (played by Vincent Spano) tells him that he stole large amount of his money and that he is willing to give it back if Snaps agrees to give his daughter’s hand. Snaps’ daughter Lisa (played by Marisa Tomei), on the other hand, falsely claims that she is pregnant in order to escape home which finds too oppressive. Before the end of the day Snaps will have to deal with rival gang that wants to assassinate him, police that wants to arrest him, two eccentric tailors, his locution teacher Dr. Thornton Poole (played by Tim Curry) and three bags – one containing money, another containing jewels and the third containing women’s underwear – which constantly get mistaken for each other.

Scriptwriters Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland made fatal mistake in the beginning, when they, apparently believing that American audience wouldn’t have taste for French farce, decided to switch setting to Prohibition era America. This also meant that the protagonist, instead of regular industrialist, had to become gangster. This inadvertently turned Oscar into gangster film parody and brought inevitable comparisons with Coen Brothers’ similarly-themed classic Miller’s Crossing, which would ultimately make Oscar look atrocious in comparison. John Landis, director with a knack for comedy, apparently wasn’t at his best while making this film. He failed to transcend stage origins of the film and the almost entire plot takes place at Snaps’ luxurious mansion. This, on the other hand, apparently reflected on the cast that considered farcical plot and characters to be best played in theatrical over-the-top manner. Strangely enough, Stallone resisted that urge and was actually one of the better actors, showing some comedic skills which had been occasionally appearing in his earlier, more serious film, as well as Tango & Cash. Tim Curry is also quite decent in the role of timid locution expert, while Martin Ferrero and Harry Shearer are very good as eccentric and sinister-looking tailors. On the other hand, Marisa Tomei is terrible as Snaps’ daughter, while stunning Italian film star Ornella Muti in role of Snaps’ wife Sofia looks a little bit too young to be Tomei’s mother. Film has problems with pacing, convoluted plot and many of the jokes being too repetitive and despite some efforts to spice it up with Elmer Bernstein’s likeable score (based on Giaochino Rossini’s famous opera Barber of Seville) looks an utter disappointment. Those who happen to watch this film today won’t be surprised to learn that it failed at box office and critics before being nominated for three Razzies.

RATING: 3/10 (+)