Prizzi’s Honor ***** (1985, Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, William Hickey, John Randolph) – Classic Movie Review 2805

Director John Huston’s absolutely brilliant 1985 black-comedy Mafia movie thriller, based on Richard Condon’s novel, stars Jack Nicholson as Charley Partanna, a hitman who works for the Prizzi crime syndicate family.

Charley is soon up to his neck in danger and romance when he meets the mysterious femme fatale Irene Walker (Kathleen Turner), who turns out to be a freelance killer hired by the Prizzis to eliminate someone who double-crossed them. As fall in love, they are both given a contract they can’t go through with. 

The stars are on murderously exhilarating form, Nicholson gloriously overacting with the Jack turn full on, and Turner all ice-cool beauty and intelligence.

Plus there is the most incisive support from Best Supporting Actor Oscar-nominated William Hickey as the emaciated old godfather Don Corrado Prizzi, Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winning Anjelica Huston as Nicholson’s ex-mistress Maerose Prizzi, Robert Loggia as Eduardo Prizzi and John Randolph as Angelo ‘Pop’ Partanna.

John Huston, nearing 80, directs with a kid’s energy and an old man’s wicked sense of fun. Nudity, sex, swearing and violence; you name it, it’s got it. It was Huston’s penultimate movie, with The Dead to follow in 1987. He died on August 28 1987, aged 81.

Also in the great cast are legendary Hollywood tough guy Lawrence Tierney (1919–2002) as Lieutenant Hanley, Lee Richardson, Michael Lombard, CCH Pounder, Sully Boyar, Dick O’Neill and Joseph Ruskin. Condon also provides the screenplay, with Janet Roach.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2805

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