Customer Reviews

Hoffa

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Here is the closest thing there is in cimena to a real life story of a blood and guts union leader. Jimmy Hoffa was boss of the Teamsters (truckers) union for many years until he met his demise in 1975 at the hands of the same thugs that helped him secure his place as the union boss.

All the memorable moments of Hoffa's life are in this movie including his duels with then Attorney General Robert Kennedy, his accommodation to gangland members for union gain, and the circumstances that led to his final undoing.

I sure like this movie and watch it every chance I get. There are two fine films about the life of the late Jimmy Hoffa (who may or may not be buried in the Meadowlands) -- this one and Sylvester Stallone's 1978 effort "FIST", which covered much of the same ground as this one.

Any movie with Jack Nicholson in the lead must be taken seriously, and he does fine work in this film. I enjoyed every scene but have to take issue with some of the historical accuracy, particularly that final scene at the "Road House".

Jimmy Hoffa was, in fact, last seen as a swanky restaurant in a swanky suburub of Detroit right down the street from one of the Detroit's biggest PR firms, not at some nickle and dime diner out in the middle of nowhere.

No matter, I suppose, since I enjoy the flick so much. You will too if you rent, purchase, borrow or steal a copy of this DVD.

A woefully underrated biography of the controversial Teamsters union president that deserved better than it got in 1992. Director Danny Devito and writer David Mamet clearly admire their subject, depicting Hoffa as a hero, a leader who has earned the loyalty of the working men he represents, rather than a self-centered puppet whose strings were pulled by organized crime. Whether or not Hoffa was deserving of such admiration is debatable, but the film offers a convincing argument that he was. As an actor, Devito has little to do but push people around and gape at Hoffa in awe, but behind the camera he performs admirably even if he seems a little too pretentious at times. As for Nicholson, this is one of his most challenging roles, one requiring more than an arch of those famous eyebrows and a flash of that killer smile. With the aid of a hairpiece and a few other modifications to his appearance, he gives one of his best performances in years. This is a fine, memorable film that seemed to have disappeared upon its release as thoroughly as Hoffa himself did in 1975. I don't know the whereabouts of Hoffa the man (and believe it's in my best interests not to know), but the film is on the video shelf. Check it out or buy it, but see it.

Hoffa is a surprising film which from time to time arises to keep alive the memory of the late Teamster president. Told in flash back form, the film ably describes the dramatic rise and fall of the popular labor leader. Indeed, with Nickleson's portrayal the viewer is convinced of the confrontational life of the man who became synonymous with the International union. Re-enacting the turbulent rise of Hoffa, viewers are treated to the fabulous talents of some of the giants of the silver screen. Few could argue that Jack Nicholson as James R. 'Jimmy' Hoffa is nothing short of magical. In addition there is Danny DeVito who as Bobby Ciaro, in my opinion steals the show. Further enriching the cast is Armand Assante as Carol D'Allesandro, the mob boss who assured Jimmy's rise to power and then later is suspect in the teamster's mysterious disappearance. J.T. Walsh is excellent as Frank Fitzsimmons. The dramatic film superbly encapsulates the early violent trials, successful triumphs and eventual tragedy of the great, but troubled teamster president. ****

Jack Nicholson's Hoffa is a Nicholson/Hoffa hybrid that plays very well on screen, though I don't know how much like the real man he really is. I've only seen brief news clips (including the extras in the special features section of the DVD). But Nicholson gives a moving and memorable performance as Jimmy Hoffa. The rest of the cast (a young John C. Reilly included) also give great performances.

I knew nothing about Jimmy Hoffa before this movie, so the nature of the film played well to me, giving an arc of events portraying Jimmy Hoffa's rise to President of the Teamsters from a young man concerned with union rights. It also dramatically covers his involvement with gangsters, the law, and Robert Kennedy.

Although Hoffa plays out like a sweeping epic (it IS 2 hours and 20 minutes long after all), there's something missing in its grandeur, and I really think it's as simple as an experienced director. Not that Danny DeVito does a bad job with the film and the actors, it's just every now and then something seems to miss the mark. A lot of the scenes look like they take place in obvious studios, which draws the audience away, and some of the scenes with bigger crowds lack that extra touch of humanity that needs to be given to remind the viewer of the individuals involved in the crowd.

Overall, though, the acting carries the movie through to the end, though, from what I've read, the ending is entirely fictionalized, which is a bit strange considering that it's somewhat of a biopic and not just a fictionalized account of a real man's life.

This bio-pic of presumed dead Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa is a stunning achievement by director-producer Danny DeVito and marks another DeVito-Jack Nicholson collaboration. Nicholson, as he usually is, is hauntingly convincing as the blue collar working man turned labor powerbroker and, dare we say, Mafia puppet. But the film is more a showcase of the labor movement's history and conveys the struggle of the then-working class. In a supporting role, DeVito augments his producing-directing duties incredibly, and his project is a spendid snapshot not only of the title subject but the sign of Hoffa's times. Unlike real life, though, DeVito treats us to his suspicion as to how Hoffa met his end, and his explanation is about as good as anyone has come up with.

On the one hand, HOFFA is a sprawling epic about the labor battles of the early Twentieth Century, featuring Jack Nicholson in epic, sprawling nose makeup. On the other hand, it has Danny DeVito as Jimmy H's chief right hand thug -- which for all of Danny's tough-guy persona (and his acting is fine), often feels a lot like going into a street fight against a cadre of Wicked Witches, with only the Lollipop Guild as your wing man.

DeVito also holds directing honors, working from a gritty script by Hollywood genius David Mamet, and he displays a deft touch, aside from his casting decisions regarding himself. The movie is briskly paced, and full of wonderful period details. Not too many tough guys today running around in berets and suspenders. Nicholson is in fine form, and while he still chews scenery, he at least has the decency to swallow it. The film could have gotten bogged down in too much of the political nonsense around Hoffa's ascent to the head of the Teamsters, but it wisely stays in the gutter, as DeVito and his thugs start riots, firebomb offices, and stare down mobsters.

Interwoven through the entire film is an extended sequence of Jimmy Hoffa waiting at a truck stop, in what is clearly meant to be the twilight of his career. The film doesn't shy away from the mystery of Jimmy's fate. The solution may not be as earth-shattering as everyone imagines, but it's true to the story. This intercutting does tend to draw out the length of the film, and they probably could have used another round at the editing bays. But all in all, this is an entertaining drama with excellent acting in the lead roles, and a biting script by Mamet.

A labor movement film cannot be possibly better than this one - you can smell the diesel fumes, feel the clubs from the strike-breakers, and observe the losses endured by the strikers' families. Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito, and their supporting players, are just outstanding. Hoffa, regardless of his association with gangsters, will always be a hero to the working classes. He stood up to the bosses and got the members a better deal with regular hours, better equipment, decent pay and benefits. Many police departments are now members of the Teamsters. I suppose his disappearance will never be explained, but if you fool around with snakes, eventually you'll get bit, and maybe the hoodlums got tired of his power and motivations...and big mouth that brought attention to the operations. Snakes like to be hidden in the shadows and out of the limelight. Hoffa was always out front, leading and making his causes front page in the media.

This fast paced 1992 film kept my eyes glued to the screen as it brought me back to some familiar headlines through the years of striking teamster members, union power and the mysterious disappearance of the famed Jimmy Hoffa. Yes, there were definitely abuses to the truck drivers and a union was necessary. And the degree that the union was corrupt is a question that might never be answered, just as the answers to what happened to Jimmy Hoffa might never come to light.

This film does not necessarily give all the answers. But it sure does bring the characters and the time and the place to life with Jack Nickelsen cast as at the charismatic union leader and Danny DeVito, who also directed this film, cast as his sidekick.

The film moves fast, bringing the 1960s to life, displaying a side of Bobby Kennedy which showed him as a pampered younger brother of the President who was out to make a name for himself during the investigative hearings of corruption in the union. Whether or not this is a true depiction of what went on is all in the eyes of the filmmaker, who tried to show Hoffa as a man of his times who probably couldn't have achieved what he did by playing by all the rules.

I really enjoyed the film. I learned more about unions and teamsters than I ever knew before. And I certainly enjoyed the performances of Nickelsen and DeVito. I do stop short though in believing in the absolute truth of this particular take of what happened even though it sure is an interesting one.

A riveting, richly layered drama, with unforgettable characters, brilliant acting, romanticized violence, darkly beautiful sets and soaring music. Hoffa , in the tradition of the Godfather, chronicles the forty-year rise and still-unsolved disappearance of the founder of the Teamster's Union. In my opinon, Hoffa was one of Jack Nicholson's finest roles as the charismatic, tough, b**ls-to-the-wall labor leader who started from nothing and built an empire with his bare hands. This movie, for me, is bittersweet, because it speaks of an era when Detroit, my hometown, was the crown jewel of the USA. So much has changed since then, but Jimmy Hoffa, no matter what, will always remain a legend and a hero to the working man.

Danny De Vito's epic is an uncommonly ambitious, lavishly mounted biopic of the infamous Teamsters Union leader that sadly never lives up to that ambition and adds up to less than the sum of its parts. Jack Nicholson is more restrained than usual in the lead, but that ultimately goes for little as the film never gets close to Hoffa, who remains an emotional and political enigma throughout. Stylistic flourishes abound - De Vito has always been a visually imaginative director - and David Mamet's script delivers some good moments, but not enough of them to justify its scope or length. Ultimately Sylvester Stallone and Norman Jewison's flawed fictionalised take on Hoffa, F.I.S.T., is more satisfying and certainly more critical.

Most of the extras are carried over from Fox's exmplary laserdisc release - an enthusiastic commentary from De Vito, deleted scenes, news coverage of the Hoffa/Kennedy hearings, anecdotes from Teamster's, storyboards, on-set home movies, shooting script, stills galleries and more.