The Impostors

For other uses, see Impostor (disambiguation).
The Impostors
Directed by Stanley Tucci
Produced by Elizabeth W. Alexander,
Stanley Tucci
Written by Stanley Tucci
Starring Oliver Platt,
Stanley Tucci,
Alfred Molina,
Tony Shalhoub,
Steve Buscemi,
Billy Connolly
Michael Emerson
Music by William Cook,
Gary DeMichele
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
  • October 2, 1998 (U.S.)
Running time
 101 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $2,198,044

The Impostors is a 1998 farce motion picture directed, written and produced by Stanley Tucci, starring Oliver Platt, Tucci, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, and Billy Connolly.

The film, in which Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci play a Laurel and Hardy-like odd couple of out-of work actors, is set in the depression-era 1930s; indeed, the retro style of the film is a recreation of '30s screwball comedy. The opening silent sequence harks back to the golden days of silent film. Although the plotting is light, the film is a warm-hearted and charming tribute to the early days of film comedy, fuelled by the eclectic mix of characters, who (as the title suggests) all turn out to be impostors of some kind; but the very diversity of the ensemble turns out to be the film's central point.

The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.[1]

Plot summary

Arthur (Tucci) and Maurice (Platt) scrape a living by petty swindles, practicing their acting technique whenever they can. Following a drunken confrontation with pretentious and dreadful Shakespearean actor Sir Jeremy Burtom (Alfred Molina), they are forced to hide as stowaways on an ocean liner.

Unfortunately for the duo, Burtom himself turns out to be a passenger on the ship, along with a vividly diverse ensemble of larger-than-life characters: a suicidal crooner named Happy Franks (Steve Buscemi) sobs through a song; Mr. Sparks (Billy Connolly), an aging gay professional tennis player; the first mate Voltri (Tony Shalhoub), who is also a mad bomber with his own language; and many more.

Mistaken identities, pratfalls, slapstick, outrageous dialogue, and general mayhem ensue.

Cast

Reception

Despite the star-studded cast (among the uncredited cameos are Woody Allen as a neurotic casting director), the film received generally mixed reviews. However, a core of critics and fans alike connected with the 30s-era style of filmmaking, and continue to rate it highly. The Impostors holds a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

References

  1. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: The Impostors". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-10-03.

External links