The Dukes

Veteran screen heavy Robert Davi (a great James Bond villain in Licence to Kill) makes an impressive directing debut with this good-natured comedy about 1950s rock-n-rollers falling on hard times in their later years. Davi stars as Danny DePasquale, who along with his pal George Zucco (Chazz Palminteri) leads a wildly popular doo-wop group called the Dukes. Flash forward a few decades: the guys are now working in an Italian restaurant run by feisty Aunt Vee (Miriam Margolyes) and pestering their old manager (Peter Bogdanovich) to land them some gigs. The Dukes would like to turn Aunt Vee's trattoria into a doo-wop club, and to obtain the necessary capital, they concoct a plan to steal gold from a dentist's office. As you might imagine, this wacky scheme goes somewhat awry, although that's not the film's focus. At its core, The Dukes is about two aging men who crave one more grab at the brass ring. Danny and George's efforts to reinvent themselves carry genuine poignancy, with all of the right emotions captured in scenes that show Danny interacting with his ex-wife (Melora Hardin) and estranged son (Dominic Scott Kay). The musical sequences provide considerable entertainment value as well, with Davi himself effectively taking the lead on “So Much in Love”—just one of many great vintage tunes on the soundtrack. One of 2008's most surprising and satisfying indie releases, this is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Robert Davi and cinematographer Michael Goi, interviews with cast and crew including Davi, Goi, Peter Bogdanovich, Chazz Palminteri, and others (75 min.), deleted scenes (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a winning little film.] (E. Hulse)