The Last Days of Frankie the Fly

Here's the buzz on Frankie the Fly: billed as film noir, this plastic been-there, done-that mafia flick fails to deliver any unusual lines, interesting characters, or captivating performances, despite its star-packed cast. Dennis Hopper, Kiefer Sutherland, and Daryl Hannah all serve up the most forgettable performances of their careers in this contrived goodfella tale, which originally appeared on HBO. Hopper is Frankie the Fly, a mid-level mafia do-badder (and bonafide idiot with morals), who decides to double-cross his loose-cannon mob boss, Sal, enlisting the aid of a porno filmmaker named Joey (Sutherland), who's under Sal's thumb. The final spoke in this shaky wheel is Daryl Hannah as a stereotypical junky porn star who wants to act but who can't keep her clothes on or stay clean. Each role is an off-putting, overcooked allusion to some notion of what a '90s noir wise-guy (or gal) is supposed to be. Frankie the Fly is a sub-par bad-guy movie with despicable characters and an unimaginative shell-of-a-plot. Not recommended. (A. Glover)