Things Change

Directed by David Mamet, Things Change follows a low-level gangster (Joe Mantegna’s Jerry) as he’s ordered to babysit the shoe-shiner (Don Ameche’s Gino) taking the fall for his powerful boss – with the narrative detailing the various misunderstandings that ensue after Jerry takes Gino to Lake Tahoe for the weekend. It’s an exceedingly appealing setup that’s employed to mostly engrossing effect by Mamet, as the filmmaker, working from a script written with Shel Silverstein, delivers a subdued endeavor that’s enhanced on a regular basis by its predictably spellbinding dialogue and the top-notch efforts of its charismatic stars – with, in terms of the latter, Mantegna and Ameche’s sterling efforts matched by an eclectic group of periphery players that includes William H. Macy, Ricky Jay, and J.T. Walsh. It’s clear, too, that Things Change benefits substantially from a storyline littered with a whole host of appealing misunderstandings and close calls, including a terrific sequence in which Jerry attempts to ensure that Gino wins a game of roulette, while the unexpectedly gripping third act ensures that the picture concludes on as compelling a note as one might’ve hoped – with the final result an above-average piece of work that functions surprisingly well as both a comedy and a drama.

***1/2 out of ****