OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY. Directed by Norman Jewison; written by Alvin Sargent; produced by Norman Jewison and Ric Kidney for Warner Bros. Starring Danny DeVito and Penelope Ann Miller. Rated R.
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There's a little more to Other People's Money than meets the eye. In a way, the movie suffers from this added depth. But it is nice to see a movie going for more than just the easy yucks—and you know laughs do come pretty easily when DeVito is involved.
The happy surprise here is that he, and most of his fellow players, manage fairly well in the movie's more serious moments, too. In the long run, neither the characters nor the narrative flow can quite handle the strain of Other People's Money 's conflicting impulses. Since it tries to be a comedy/drama/love story/case study of capitalism at work. But the movie comes close to succeeding, close enough to make for good entertainment.
DeVito is Lawrence Garfield, "Larry the Liquidator," a Wall Street takeover shark. And for the first half of the movie, he plays Garfield the way you'd expect him to—all ruthlessness, crudity and caustic one-liners.
Then he meets Kate (Miller) the lawyer trying to defend a small company from his raiding, and his character starts to get more complex. (We learn, for example, that he plays the violin.) But, interestingly, he doesn't become a nice guy, he doesn't back down from his takeover bid. He just becomes a more sympathetic figure. (Hey, I said it doesn't work 100 percent, didn't I?)
Understandably, some moviegoers will prefer the first, funnier part of Other People's Money, but the last half has its moments, too. And its unpredictability is a real plus.
Gregory Peck is perfectly cast as the crusty, stubborn head of the targeted company, and Piper Laurie fills in well as his assistant. (Although their relationship is unnecessarily ambiguous.)
Miller isn't quite in DeVito's league as far as rude comedy goes, but she's close. And she's a real knock-out in the dressed-for-success-but-ready-for-fun outfits she wears throughout. Their relationship is a treat to watch. You never know quite what's really going on in either one's head, and the dialogue's snappy come-backs are first rate.
November 23, 1991