Written and directed by Barry Levinson. Did he see Glengarry Glen Ross (on stage, in 1983) and think he could do better?
Baltimore, 1963. Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito are selling aluminium siding (cladding obsolete for houses now but still used for caravans, Google suggests). It's a time of Cadillacs, high emotions and scams. Lots of scams, none particularly interesting. Barbara Hershey starts as DeVito's wife but he's not sorry to see her go. J.T. Walsh has a minor role, as does Seymour Cassel (Minnie and Moskowitz). The initial tepid comedy evaporates leaving a weak, misogynistic romance that yields to scenes of great insincerity between work buddies. The dialogue often malfunctions.
Fine Young Cannibals played live in one of the bars the salesmen frequent; the soundtrack is otherwise a period-appropriate collection of tunes. It was a bit jarring to recognise Insensatez by Antônio Carlos Jobim from Lost Highway.
Roger Ebert: three stars too many. Janet Maslin: nostalgic.
