| Palookaville | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alan Taylor |
| Written by | David Epstein |
| Produced by | Uberto Pasolini |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | John Thomas |
| Edited by | David Leonard |
| Music by | Rachel Portman |
| Production companies |
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| Distributed by | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| Release dates |
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| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $365,284 |
Palookaville is a 1995 American crime comedy film directed by Alan Taylor (in his feature directorial debut) and written by David Epstein. The film is about a trio of burglars and their dysfunctional family of origin. It stars William Forsythe, Vincent Gallo, Adam Trese, and Frances McDormand. The writing is a free interpretation of three short stories by Italo Calvino.
Palookaville premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 1995, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 25, 1996, by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. It received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Plot
Sid, Russ and Jerry are three wannabe criminals looking for easy money to break out of their nowhere lives. Despite a bungled jewelry store heist that exposes their incompetence, they are convinced they can pull off an armored-truck robbery. While plotting their caper, their dysfunctional families spin out of control all around them.
Cast
- William Forsythe as Sid Dunleavy
- Vincent Gallo as Russell Pataki
- Adam Trese as Jerry
- Gareth Williams as Ed the Cop
- LisaGay Hamilton as Betty
- Kim Dickens as Laurie
- Suzanne Shepherd as Mother
- Nicole Burdette as Chris
- Robert LuPone as Ralph
- Sam Coppola as Mr. Kott
- Frances McDormand as June
- Douglas Seale as Old Man
- William Riker as Old Arthur
- Leonard Jackson as Bus Driver
- William Duell as Money Truck Guard
- Peter McRobbie as Chief of Police
- Nesbitt Blaisdell as Old Fritz
- Bridgit Ryan as Enid
Reception
Critical response
At the time of its release, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes later reported an approval rating of 64%, with an average rating of 6.4/10, based on 11 reviews.
Accolades
- 1995, nominated, Golden Alexander at the Thessaloniki Film Festival for director Alan Taylor
- 1997, won, Audience Award at the Tromsø International Film Festival for director Alan Taylor
- 1998, won, ALFS Award for British Producer of the Year at the London Critics Circle Film Awards for Uberto Pasolini
References
- "Palookaville". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- Bolongaro, Eugenio (2006-05-01). "Playful robberies in Palookaville (1995): Alan Taylor, Italo Calvino and a new paradigm for adaptation". New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film. 4 (1): 3–20. doi:10.1386/ncin.4.1.3_1. ISSN 1474-2756.
- Ebert, Roger (November 29, 1996). "Palookaville movie review & film summary (1996)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- "Palookaville (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes. 1996-10-25. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
External links
- Palookaville at IMDb
| Films directed by Alan Taylor | |
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- 1995 films
- 1990s crime comedy films
- 1990s heist films
- American crime comedy films
- American heist films
- Films directed by Alan Taylor
- Films scored by Rachel Portman
- Films set in New Jersey
- Films shot in New Jersey
- The Samuel Goldwyn Company films
- 1995 directorial debut films
- 1995 comedy films
- Adaptations of works by Italo Calvino
- 1990s English-language films
- 1990s American films
- English-language crime comedy films
- 1990s comedy film stubs
- 1990s American film stubs