This jet black gangster comedy stars Jason Priestly as Cosmo Reif, a dopey mafia number-cruncher whose life, despite his professional associations, is deadly dull. Devoid of social graces, he lives alone in the basement of a retirement home, an automoton numbed by his anaemic experience. His only human contact comes in the ample form of prostitute Honey (Janeane Garofalo) who visits him once a week to offer her services. But things change dramatically for Cosmo when he’s unexpectedly promoted to the post of mob hit-man by new boss, Gordon (Robert Loggia).
He starts training under the tutelage of assassin, Steve (Peter Reigert), a veteran gunman whose breezy appearance belies a deep-seated loneliness and guilt. He’s happy for Cosmo’s company, and is amazed when his pupil turns out to be a natural killer, quite happy to chat to his victims before impassively blowing them away. As the hits rack up, however, Cosmo’s emotional spectrum expands – and when he meets and falls in love with kind-hearted, beautiful yoga instructor, Jasmine (Kimberly Williams), he decides to go straight. But getting out of the murder game is easier said than done…
Writer/director Wallace Wolodarsky was one of the original writers on The Simpsons , and Priestly proves he can dead-pan with the best of them. The film, lifted immeasurably by the comic skills of Riegert and Garofolo, Williams’ sex-appeal and Loggia’s affable menace, manages to be simultaneously sick and touching as well as very funny and watch out for a cameo appearance from co-producer Michael J Fox as one of Cosmo’s victims.
production details
USA | 92 minutes | 1995
Writer and Director: Wallace Wolodarsky
cast
Michael J. Fox as Tim Alexander
Jason Priestley as Cosmo Reif
Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Jasmine
Janeane Garofalo as Honey
Robert Loggia as Gordon
Peter Riegert as Steve
Josh Charles as Randy
David Anthony Higgins as Lance
Doris Grau as Rose
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