Frank E. (realartist) from HENDERSONVLLE, NC
Reviewed on 2/18/2013...
A delightful dark comedy. You know any film with Alan Arkin is going to take some bizarre turns and twists before all is said and done. This is about an insurance salesman who's "area" is Racine Wisconsin. Alan Arkin plays a borderline senile old German Farmer, who happens to have an old violin he brought with him from Germany, handed down to him over generations, and is thus immensely valuable. Our Sunday School looking salesman, a little hard up for casherola at the moment who's wife has pushed him out of their lives... decides to , ahem , take that old piece of junk off alan Arkin's hands.
What makes this movie both extremely relevant, and dark, is that this goes on all day every day in real life ! I live in a retirement community awash in extended care facilities, and folks dropping like flies. So I hear from caregivers who observe, eavesdrop, and, thus, are aghast and appalled at how greedy and even abusive relatives can be in trying to grab everything of value they can for themselves. I have also witnessed it in my own family..my millionaire Great Aunt, who we all knew was senile...sudddenly it appears that a local lawyer signed everything over , lock stock and barrel to the black sheep of the family! It happens, daily, and everyone should know...this movie may help draw attention to this epidemic, cruel larceny happening all around us, quietly ..like falling snow flakes..not a sound made, and bingo, the most devious member of the family gets it all.
Unfortunately one of the characters involved is an ex convict, with an unpredictable murderous streak...and yes, somebody gets "axed"...and literally...he has to be chopped up and stuffed down an ice fishing hole. Our hapless insurance man now inextricably bound up in this horror show.
Is this funny?,... well you may ask. I won't spoil this for you..but I will say that I am reasonably certain you will watch this twice...to figure out ~"WHAT THE...?". And you will laugh.