Customer Reviews

Rick

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Here's an ultra-clever piece of work that deserves more than its current obscure status. Based on Rigoletto, this whipsnap of a movie casts Bill Pullman as the title character with the improbable last name of O'Lette (just to make sure you don't miss the reference), a nasty SOB with a megabucks Wall Street job who treats people like slime and at the same time has to grovel to a boss 20 years his junior. The boss, Duke (beginning to get the picture here?) is an immature rich kid jerk who lusts after Rick's daughter, and is married to a dimbulb woman almost as dense as he is.

Enter Buck, with whom Rick went to business school, and who has a business that speciailizes in reducing the earth's population--one person at a time. He promises to wipe out whomever Rick chooses for a mere 10 grand. Rick has a pretty good idea of who that would be. And of course, this being an opera-based neo-noir tale, things don't exactly go according to plan. Reminiscent of Fargo and Shock to the System--in fact, you could say this is a pretty nifty fusion of those two edgy films--Rick's smarts (that is, the film's intelligence, not the main character's) shines through in almost every scene. A few small missteps here and there, but nothing serious, this is another film that has a lot of fun slapping you in the face and watching your reaction.

Hurts so good. Nice piece of work from writer Dan Handler who wrote the Lemony Snicket thing; looks like he specializes in nasty characters who get their come-uppance and then some. I especially like the back and forth of the one-syllable names at the bar--"Rick", "Mick", "Buck", "Jack", "Duke"--very snappy, as though the F word is being hurtled from one guy to another (yeah, it's a guy thing) ceaselessly.

Definitely recommended. If you like Shock to the System, Fargo, Office Killer, and probably one or two other black comedies I can't think of the names of right now, you'll dig this one.

Snappy.

Sandra Oh has IT. The girl can do comedy and drama. As a woman degraded, she casts a witch's curse that propels this pop Rigoletto in which the soundtrack is a sensuous mix of Christmas carols that underscore the psychological drama directly as well as ironically. (I'm buying the soundtrack next!)The script with it revealing cliches of office dialog and 4-letter names that are used like 4-letter words is music to my literary ears. Too many producers forget that a film begins with writing. The last, but not least revelation, was Bill Pullman's self-lacerating performance that recalls the conflicted icon Jack Lemmon in "The Apartment." Having never really cared for Pullman before, I hesitated when I saw the billing. But the guy made a believer out of me with his muttering performance depicting a man who was once good, and who was whittled away by urban violence and corporate hypocrisy. Aaron Stanford as Duke, the Bigboss, gives the kind of performance that gets Supporting Actor nominations. His character is an archetype of our times, because he chatters on in halls and on line all the while he is gorgeously clueless regarding his superficiality, his wife, and his employees. For an interesting double feature, watch this film with "Rodger Dodger." Or, pair this serious film with another Christmas-driven movie for grown-ups, the hilarious comedy "The Ref."

Not many people saw this movie, and I had to journey into the city of Manhattan to watch it. I was glad I did that, because I was treated to one of the best films of the year. "Rick" is the darkest movie that I have ever seen, and it's a shame that it wasn't distributed to more movie theatres. It stars Bill Pullman, as one of the most unlikeable characters ever created. Rick O'Lette is a mean, mean man, who treats everybody that is under him as if they are stupid. This movie takes place in Manhattan, and it takes place in the sneedy corparate world, where everybody is in it for the money, the fame, or the glory, and they will do a anything for get revenge or to get to the top. It's a drama that could work as a comedy, and there is only one character that we could root for, and hope that nothing happens to. Everybody else, until the end of course, you couldn't care less about, and it's nice to see a refreshing change of pace in movies. It's hard to guess if the mainstream audiences will like this movie, because it's like nothing that they've never seen before. The ending is grim and sadly unfortunate, and it's totally different than what I see in my theatres.

As I said already, Bill Pullman plays Rick O'Lette, but everybody calls him Rick, and not Mr. O' Lette, or "sir" or anything else. In this world, it seems that he is the only one that makes sense, sometimes, especially when the secretary of the building, Laura, is selling candy bars for his child's school, and they are all ten dollars a bar. He is the only one that seems to realize that it is incredibly stupid to buy one of them, and he is the only one that is not eating them all day. Also, in this world, others think that they know it all, especially when Rick interview, Michelle, comes into the building, and Laura give her the directions to go there, which involved going straight, making a left at the fax, a left at the coffee machine, a right at the printer, etc. Rick treats her horribly, and doesn't give her the job, something that comes back to haunt him. Later, him and his boss, who is much much younger than he is, go out for a drink, and it turns out that the waitress is Michelle. He gets her fired, and she puts a curse on him, stating that he is a horrible person, and he will pay for the way that he treats people. His boss, Duke, goes back to the office to "work," when he is really have anoynomous internet sex with some girl over the internet. His screen name is BIG BOSS. He doesn't know that he is doing it with Rick's high school daughter, Eve, who is not actually participating in the sexual act, but just amusing herself, and whoever it is that she is talking to. Eventually, Rick meets Buck, who kills big corparate imagines for money. Rick hires him to kill Duck, mostly after he finds out what he may or may not be doing with his daughter. He gives Buck the key to his storage space to dispose of the body, and when the night of the office Christmas party comes, also the night where the murder will take place, Rick could begin to have second thoughts. . .

I didn't expect the ending of "Rick" to be what it was, but it had me thinking about it for a while afterwards. The only character here that you care about is Eve, because you could relate to her, and also because she is the only nice one. She is the only person that Rick cares about, and after his wife died, he does everything that he can to make sure that she doesn't leave him too, but she is becoming distant. It's the only spark of emotion Rick's character has, and this movie plays with his emotions. He is changing as these things around him unfold, and by the ending, you either are glad about what happens, or very upset, depending on the way that you feel about Rick. I'm not going to reveal the ending, but I want to shroud it in mystery so you'll see it for yourself.

I love the wonderful dark. grim, feel of this Manhattan. It's so unlike the Manhattan that I am in often, and it brings such a dark look to these characters, and this other world. "Rick" makes it own universe in a world very much like our own, but we just don't see some of the things that happen are so stupid. "Rick" does exaggerate some of these stupid things, but makes it hilarious because nobody, except Rick, notices. I love this movie, and I want to buy the DVD, but am having problems finding it. I recommend this, and am calling it one of the best films of the year.

ENJOY!

Rated R for sexual content and language.

Talk about your series of unfortunate events! Scriptwriter Daniel Handler (the man behind Lemony Snicket) delivers up a thoroughly adult tale of power, greed, lust, innocence lost, and seemingly foreordained tragedy in Rick. The movie may be patterned on Verdi's opera Rigoletto, yet the presentation of this story is uniquely memorable; it's a brilliant, intelligent, quirky dark comedy/morality tale that really should be a cult classic. Bill Pullman has finally made a believer out of me; I don't know why I have found it somewhat difficult to like him in the past, but he's really zoomed up my personal rankings of actors with his effort here. He may well be the only actor that could have pulled this role off to the maximum effect - it's a nuanced, quirky performance that samples just about all of the spectrums of modern life. When we first meet Rick, he's a jerk - pure and simple. Some viewers seemingly never got over that, but for me, this character quickly developed into a likeable, albeit unfortunate, human being filled with regrets yet seemingly trapped in a persona that he truly abhors in his heart. His love for his late wife emerges through his interaction with his somewhat wayward daughter Eve (Agnes Bruckner - and let me just say that the mental image I associate with the name Agnes has now been put completely on its head), and his contempt for his boss and co-workers - and thereby himself - becomes increasingly obvious.

Rick's boss Duke (Aaron Stanford), aka BigBoss, is a complete jerk and a pervert. When he and Rick are together, it's all fun and games, a contest to see who can step on more of the little people around them. The vindictiveness we see in Rick's character is fuelled by his secret hatred of Duke, who is young enough to be his son. In the tradition of reaping what you sow, Rick is inflicted with a "Chinese curse" by a young lady (Sandra Oh) whom he humiliated in an interview before also getting her fired from her current job. Before he can even laugh that threat off, a former college buddy shows up out of nowhere offering to help Rick get to the top. When the BigBoss is a kid, there's really only one surefire method of getting him out of the way of your professional development. Rick wants no part of such nonsense, but his reasoning changes as his life proceeds to come apart at the seams. In a real sense, all he has in his life is his daughter Eve, and she's something of a handful. Things develop in such a way that, for personal as well as business reasons, Rick wants Duke to disappear.

It's true that the ending doesn't exactly jump out at you and surprise you, but a good movie is not defined by a good, surprising conclusion - it's how you get to that conclusion, and Rick (the film) forges an unforgettable path from here to there. It's a dark comedy that morphs into a tragedy, and I found it incredibly compelling from beginning to end - and, as far as I'm concerned - it's brilliantly done. A lot of the humor is quick and subtle, but it all contributes to a virtual pillaging of business as usual in the modern world. Odd but effective camera angles and a disquieting soundtrack made up of darkly modified Christmas tunes effects a surreal atmosphere for the drama that unfolds, marking Rick as a definite modern morality play. The writing is sharp, incisive, biting, and wonderfully interconnected, with Handler tying ever plot element together in a way few writers can match. This is a brilliant motion picture that does not deserve its current state of obscurity.

Rick is a chilling and haunting drama that perfectly blends tragedy with cold comedy. Everyone involved in this film should be commended for turning Daniel Handler's script into such a un-hollywoodish feature.

But for me, what made this film work above and beyond Handler's script/Clayton's excellent direction/Lisa Rinzler's moody cinematography is Bill Pullman's portrayal of the title character Rick. Pullman has given us some interesting and powerful works over the years, I especially enjoyed watching him in Lost Highway and Zero Effect, but here, he's pretty much covered whole spectrum of emotions.

***POSSIBLE S.P.O.I.L.O.R***

Pullman is called to go from a complete emotionless corporate jerk to a understated loving father to a tortured widow to a desperate protector whose action destoryed the only thing he still values.

***END OF POSSIBLE S.P.O.I.L.O.R***

He's performance is so layered that even though Rick is such a unlikable character, you are still induced to feel for him when one realizes the extent of retribution. And of course, Pullman is surrounded by a wonderful supporting case that contributed tremendously to the film.

Some reviewers complained about too many coincidental elements in the movie, but remember, Rick is loosely based on Verdi's Opera Rigoletto, so some of the outlandish plot devices used in the film are meant to be taken operatically.

Overall, this is not a film for those who are looking for a night of popcorn entertainment. But if you want to watch a film that is not to be forgetton after a cold shower, Rick will be a good bet.

One of the better, darker comedies I've seen in a long time. Pullman was great as Rick. I wouldn't say anyone over-acted considering that this film is parodic in nature. Doubly so actually. Parody of Rigoletto AND corporate culture. Subtly can be left at the door with dark comedies. It's like a cross between Office Space and Very Bad Things. I loved the presentation of the film, a dark gothic set and camera angles that parallel the twisted nature of the plat and its characters(a la Batman). I'm going to keep an eye on director Curtiss Clayton in the future.

Wasn't a "Dark Comedy" - just DARK. Rick got what he deserved for being rude, mean, unscrupulous and careless. Unfortunately, his dumb daughter had to pay for it; with her life. The perverted "BIGBOSS" got what he wanted and got away Scott-free. The interviewee/fired waitress/storage space attendant's curse on Rick, worked. That's it. Lousy movie.

If the guys from IN THE COMPANY OF MEN had been even more cartoonishly evil and crass, they would be the characters in this movie. And the fact is, those very traits make some bits in this satire absolutely hilarious.

Both of the male leads in this film, Rick and Big Boss (who is half Rick's age), seem to compete for the designation of Bad Guy. Equally sleazy, both characters pull stunts that will literally make you gasp. The opening exchange between Bill Pullman and Sandra Oh may be the most politically incorrect scene in all of film. And it's classic.

No need for a scene-by-scene analysis here. Suffice it to say, there's intrigue, there's back-biting, double-dealing, and really a lot more than I expected when I purchased the DVD from the $1 box at my local store. This is a fun movie with a truly shocking surprise ending (which makes no sense once you think it through). For fans of pointed social satire, this is a film for you.

This film is pointless, for many reasons. Not the least of which is that it's a bad bastardization of Victor Hugo's Le Roi s'Amuse (and Verdi's Rigoletto).



It gets off to an intriguing start, though. Meet Rick (Bill Pullman) - the office jerk. He's a fairly unlikable guy, but that's because his wife was killed. Rick is also pushed around by his less-talented, half-his-age boss. So an old schoolmate says for $10,000 he'll kill any one person of his choosing. What do you do?



If you're Rick, you let yourself get pushed into something you don't want to do, and you make racial slurs on not one but two occasions to Sandra Oh, keep her from getting a new job and get her fired from her old one. So it's kind of hard to root for old Rick.



This film seems to want to tell us something, some truth about the human condition, but what?

That all receptionists are mean? That all bosses are evil? That they always have clichéd, drunkard wives? That you can never get over the loss of a loved one? That grieving people are easily manipulated? That it's okay to be racist against Asians? That there are no good people, anywhere, ever?



In the end, it's a waste of the acting talents of Bill Pullman, Agnes Bruckner, Sandra Oh, and Dylan Baker.

The only bad part is that it is too long. Still with its flaws, it's still an interesting story about karma.