Richard Condon's delicious black comedy was lovingly translated to the screen by legendary director John Huston in one of his last movies. The Prizzis are a powerful family of mobsters, as devoted to their code of honor as they are to bending laws and breaking skulls. Charley Partanna (Jack Nicholson), a Prizzi hit man, is not quite so honorable, at least where affairs of the heart are concerned. While attending a mob wedding, he throws over his longtime sweetheart Maerose Prizzi (Anjelica
Huston) in favor of gorgeous Irene Walker (Kathleen Turner). Supposedly a tax consultant, Irene is actually a paid killer like Charley--and this endears her to him all the more. But when it turns out that Irene has betrayed the Prizzis, Charley finds himself on the horns of a dilemma: does he kill Irene or marry her? Fortuitously, Irene helps Charley make up his mind by attempting to kill him. The film's strongest suit is its matter-of-fact approach to Charley and Irene's profession; in the movie's most memorable scene, the two lovers calmly discuss their dinner plans while disposing of the corpse of their latest victim. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, Prizzi's Honor won Best Supporting Actress for Huston's daughter Anjelica, playing the "art imitates life" role of Nicholson's cast-off girl friend. The win made Anjelica, John, and Walter Huston the only three generations of one family all to win Oscars. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
As usual, Turner works hard and manages to lend some conviction to a shoddily written part, but she can't connect with Nicholson, whose obscure hamminess leaves him isolated on some other planet.
This is the most bizarre comedy in many a month, a movie so dark, so cynical and so funny that perhaps only Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner could have kept straight faces during the love scenes.
John Huston's dark, cynical comedy about the Mafia, one of his last pictures, suffers from the lack of chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner, but Anjelica Huston is excellent in a well-deserving Oscar-winning turn.
Widely considered a black comedy classic, Prizzi's Honor is dated today and, tragically, finally revealed as a middling work that wanders aimlessly and ends abruptly.
Yes, it went a little too long, felt a little forced at times, began with one of the most unnecessary lengthy wedding scenes of all-time and ended on a note that simply didn't satisfy, but overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
For as much as I remember Prizzi's Honor getting talked up when I was a kid, as an adult I've got to ask what the hell the big goddamn deal was about. The story sets up an interesting premise but takes some major lapses in logic (even if the only mafia movie you've ever seen is The Godfather) and ties things up W A Y
too conveniently at the end. The performances were either hammy and over the top (I'm talking to you, Nicholson) or downright negligible (*cough*KathleenTurner*cough*.) The only exception was Anjelica Huston whose foxy magnificence was grossly underused. I actually almost turned Prizzi's Honor off in the first half hour, but by the time the credits rolled I was sort of glad I didn't, but I've got the feeling that John Huston was counting on nonexistent charm to carry this story where there was never really anything there.
No quotes approved yet for Prizzi's Honor. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Prizzi's Honor'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
