A remake of the 1958 Italian heist comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street, a classic of low key humor and eccentric characters, the 1984 comedy Crackers relocates the story of a gang of misfits trying to rob a pawnshop from 1950s Rome to 1980s San Francisco.
Donald Sutherland takes the lead as Weslake, an unemployed (and perhaps unemployable) guy whose off-the-books job as night watchman of a pawnshop is suddenly gone when the skinflint owner (Jack Warden) hires dull-witted electrician Dillard (Sean Penn) to install a burglar alarm. When he hears word of a plot to rob the place, Weslake steps in and appoints himself gang leader and heist mastermind.
Where Dillard and his pal Ramon (Trinidad Silva) just want to get a few choice items from the shop, Weslake has his eye on cracking the giant antique safe in the office and concocts an elaborate break-in that he has timed out to the minute without thinking through the complications. Or much of anything, for that matter.
His crew also includes Wallace Shawn as a guy who will eat practically anything and Larry Riley as a flashy pimp who spends his days watching over his infant son. It's hard to pinpoint where this film went wrong but it was a critical and financial flop upon release and it hasn't gotten any better with age.
Christine Baranski is terrific as a fun-loving policewoman who spends her days handing out parking tickets and her nights on hot dates with the locals. But while she's the funniest thing in the film, her role seems an afterthought in the script.
Donald Sutherland, playing a part that was originally developed for John Belushi, should be the engine of the film but he never gets out of low gear. Sean Penn invests himself completely in his role as the likable idiot and brings an innocent sweetness to his romance with Ramon's sister (Tasia Valenzia) but has little to do otherwise.
In fact, the characters too often seem to be simply waiting around for something to happen. Louis Malle directed the marvelously inventive and clever Zazie dans le Metro in 1960 but brings none of that whimsy or energy to this film. What should be a good time with eccentric characters in a colorful neighborhood never comes to life.
The Blu-ray debut features an audio commentary by film historian and filmmaker David Kremerand film critic Tafayne. Not recommended.