From off-Broadway to silver screen the musical Lucky Stiff really packs a comedic punch. The zany, wacky and cunningly romantic film may have a simple storyline, but it entertains right down to the moment the credits roll. It’s the opening night feature for the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and there couldn’t have been a better choice for the swank audience that will be in attendance. Walking the red carpet with other actors, producers and directors will be stars Jason Alexander who will be receiving Career Achievement Award from FLIFF, supporting star Pamela Shaw and director Christopher Ashley.
Harry Witherspoon (Dominic Marsh) working as a salesman for a London shoe store hasn’t had much luck getting his dream job or any romance in his life. In fact he’d rather count shoes for Friday inventory than go out on the town. He plays out his meager lifestyle in a plain room at an apartment in the lower income area of town. Following the last counted shoe he leaves for home.
Meanwhile his landlady has just accepted a telegram for Harry and the nosy woman can’t wait till he arrives. She hands him the letter and gets the news that his Uncle Anthony in the United States has died and he’s been awarded his estate worth millions. There are two catches however, Harry has to take Anthony’s preserved by taxidermy body in a wheelchair to Monte Carlo so he can at least in death, spend a weekend in luxury. If he doesn’t succeed the money goes to a dog pound in New York City.
When his photo appears in the newspaper about the inheritance and Rita LaPorta (Pamela Shaw) Anthony’s ex-wife reads about it, she takes her gun and Optometrist brother Vinnie (Jason Alexander) on a trip to the French Riviera.
The wacky little film has a very good dialogue driven musical score that’s ably handled by the fine cast under the direction of Christopher Ashley. Nominated for a Tony Award for Directing the musical “Memphis” on Broadway, Ashley really shows how he can handle both the singing and the comedy in Lucky Stiff. He keeps his film moving at a very fast pace introducing his three main characters and collecting more as the film progresses. It’s mad cap fun with seamless transitions from one comical scene to the next.
Dominic Marsh leads the cast with a fine performance as the lonely guy who gets his world turned upside down. Nicely played out, his portrayal of Harry keeps the script enjoyable to watch, especially when he finds that even a shoe salesman can find love and happiness. His supporting cast has Nikki M. James (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) as Annabel Glick the young woman from Brooklyn set on getting the inheritance money for her dog pound. Also included in a very off-the-wall role is Pamela Shaw who brings the “wacky” to the production. Nearsighted Rita La Porta has her mind trained on getting the millions and even though she can’t see beyond her hands without her glasses, the gun she’s wielding still gives her a lot of power.
Jason Alexander gets very zany taking nervous Vinnie for the ride of a lifetime finding himself getting deeper in trouble the more he helps his looney sister. He’s beyond George Costanza of “Seinfeld” with his crazy ever changing hair and animated gestures. Did I say he even sings in his role? The film is also a nice tribute to Dennis Farina who plays Luigi an Italian playboy. Helping Harry to get acclimated to Monte Carlo and a lifestyle he would never choose to be in, Luigi looks out for the young man. Farina has been in at least 75 films with this being his final appearance.
Lucky Stiff has not been rated by the MPAA but does contain some violence and suggestive sexuality. The film plays as part of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on Friday November 7th at 7:15 p.m. at the Amaturo Theatre in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For further information go to http://www.fliff.com/Films_and_Events.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Dominic Marsh, Jason Alexander, Pamela Shaw, Dennis Farina, Nikki M. James
Directed by: Christopher Ashley
Genre: Musical Comedy
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 1 hr 28 min
Festival Showing Date: FLIFF November 7, 2014
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
