DIRECTED BY: Barry Sonnenfeld
STARRING: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Bette Midler, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, Jon Gries, Renee Props, David Paymer, Martin Ferrero, Miguel Sandoval, Jacob Vargas, Bobby Slayton, Linda Hart and Ralph Manza
BUDGET: $30m
EARNED (Worldwide): $115.1m
AWARDS: Golden Globe for Best Actor in Comedy/Musical
SYNOPSIS
A mobster travels to Hollywood to collect a debt and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job.
Get Shorty has us follow the story of Chili Palmer, a mobster who is a loan-shark for Ray Bones, a guy with a big chip on his shoulder and a dislike for Chili. One day Ray asks Chili to visit the widow of Leo Devoe to reclaim a debt owed to them and Chili learns that Leo is still alive and is now living in Las Vegas. Chili takes off to Vegas and is soon enlisted by a casino boss to reclaim a debt from Hollywood producer Harry Zimm. Chili has always wanted to find a way into the movie business and now by chance he may finally get his wish.
Get Shorty is one of those films that you will often return to not just for the story but for the dialogue from Elmore Leonard, focusing on loan shark Chili Palmer who knows his way around organised crime yet dreams of being involved in the movie business when one day an opportunity strikes upon his visit to Las Vegas, leading him to encountering Hollywood film producer Harry Zimm, who he pitches a film idea to in order to become what he always wanted to be: a film producer. We’re then introduced to a set of characters such as ‘scream queen’ Karen Flores, hot shot actor of the moment Martin Weir that they scheme to get into their picture, Bo Catlett who’s owed big money from Zimm and wants to have a stake in a film, Bear whose a stuntman that is Bo’s muscle and then there’s Ray Bones, a guy who has a major dislike for Chili. Get Shorty is a wonderfully written film filled with Leonard’s dialogue that keeps you engrossed (after Travolta insisted to the the studio that the original dialogue should be put back into the screenplay and thank god it did!) and a pretty funny satire take on Hollywood on a playful jab at screenwriters to Chili Palmer trying to teach Martin Weir how to be intimidating with the look of his eyes. John Travolta is great as Chili Palmer, oozing cool and that scene where he recites the lines from Touch of Evil will always be entertaining to me, Gene Hackman is in great form playing it straight and coming across funny as Harry Zimm, Rene Russo is great as Karen Flores and Dennis Farina is just an absolute laugh in this film as Ray Bones.
FAVOURITE SCENE: Chili learns that Bear is a stuntman and decides to test out his skills in front of Bo and everyone else in the restaurant by sending him flying down the stairs.
FAVOURITE QUOTE: ‘I’m not gonna say any more than I have to, if that.’ – Chili Palmer
DID YOU KNOW?: According to Elmore Leonard, movie star Martin Weir (Danny DeVito), is based on Leonard’s own dealings with Dustin Hoffman.
Irish Cinephile 