With Friends Like These...
1998 American film
With Friends Like These... is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Philip Frank Messina and starring Robert Costanzo, Jon Tenney, David Strathairn and Adam Arkin. Bill Murray appears in a cameo.
The film was originally released on home video in 1998 and was later give a theatrical release in 2005.
01Plot
Four small-time two-bit character actors (Costanzo, Tenney, Strathairn, and Arkin), all close friends, are competing for the same important part in the next Martin Scorsese mob film.
02Cast
- Adam Arkin as Steve Hersh
- David Strathairn as Armand Minetti
- Jon Tenney as Dorian Mastandrea
- Robert Costanzo as Johnny DiMartino
- Amy Madigan as Hannah DiMartino
- Laura San Giacomo as Joanne Hersh
- Elle Macpherson as Samantha Mastandrea
- Lauren Tom as Yolanda Chin
- Beverly D'Angelo as Theresa Carpenter
- Ashley Peldon as Marissa DiMartino
- Allison Bertolino as Dana DiMartino
- Bill Murray as Maurice Melnick
- Frederika Kesten as Catrice
- John Capodice as Actor Friend
- Carmine Costanzo as Nino DiMartino
- Heather Stephens as Babette
- Martin Scorsese as Himself
- Jon Polito as Rudy Ptak
03Critical reception
The Village Voice, "Even a few strong strands of acting from David Strathairn aren't enough to stitch the threadbare script in this cheap mohair suit of a movie, where plot and characterization are drawn strictl off the rack. Only a mook could love it, and if you don't know what a mook is, go see With Friends Like These and be found, I mean find out."
The New York Times, ""With Friends Like These," which was originally released seven years ago on home video, is only now surfacing as a theatrical release. Although it's no classic, it's a cut or two smarter than the average Hollywood comedy. At its best, it plays like a less acerbic, less Jewish triple episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The movie's retrieval from oblivion is well deserved."
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “With Friends Like These...”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- With Friends Like These....jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
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