DVD Nick is a dentist struggling to pay off debts. When a new neighbour moves in he discovers it is the hitman turned mob informant Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski. His wife convinces him to travel to Chicago and inform the mob of Jimmy's whereabouts.
Details
Nick "Oz" Oseransky is a mild-mannered Montreal dentist whose life has become something of a nightmare. Not only is he stuck in a miserable marriage, but he has spent most of his married life paying off the debts of his wife's father. Divorce seems like the only escape, but that also comes with a hefty financial cost.
Things take a sudden turn when Oz discovers that his new next-door neighbour is none other than Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski, a notorious hitman who has turned informant against the Chicago mob. When Oz's manipulative wife Sophie learns of Jimmy's identity, she immediately hatches a plan: Oz should travel to Chicago and inform the mob of Jimmy's location in return for a generous finder's fee.
Oz reluctantly travels to Chicago, but things quickly spiral out of control. Sophie secretly double-crosses him by warning Jimmy about Oz's plan in the hope that Jimmy will kill him, allowing her to collect a large life insurance payout. From this point on the plot becomes a tangled web of double-crosses, hidden identities and shifting loyalties. If you blink you might miss an important twist.
Picture & Sound
The picture quality is bright, clear and sharp with no obvious artifacting and an average bit-rate throughout the film. Some scenes can appear slightly grainy at times and there are the occasional minor imperfections in the transfer, but overall the presentation is perfectly respectable. It is also nice to have the option of both widescreen and full screen versions of the film.
The sound is fairly average with nothing particularly spectacular for this type of film. However, the flashback moments when Oz slowly realises who his neighbour really is are quite effective. For the most part this is a dialogue driven film with only occasional use of the surround channels for the musical score and ambient effects. The quiet suburban atmosphere used on the menu system is quite amusing though - the tweeting birds had me glancing out of the window more than once.
Overall
Although this is an enjoyable film with plenty of twists and turns in what eventually becomes a fairly predictable plot, I was constantly distracted by Matthew Perry's performance. He essentially plays Oz as his Friends character Chandler with the same nervous wisecracks, awkward reactions and clumsy charm. I couldn't believe how similar the characters were. Talk about being typecast!
However, the real strength of The Whole Nine Yards lies in the chemistry between the cast. Bruce Willis clearly enjoys playing against type as the laid back hitman Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski, and he delivers the role with a relaxed charm that contrasts nicely with Oz's constant nervous panic. Amanda Peet also steals more than a few scenes with a wonderfully unhinged performance, while the supporting cast - particularly Kevin Pollak and Michael Clarke Duncan - add to the chaos as the various schemes and betrayals spiral out of control.
What starts as a fairly simple premise quickly becomes a tangled mess of double-crosses, fake identities and shifting loyalties, and half the fun is simply trying to keep track of who is playing who at any given moment. It may not be the most sophisticated crime comedy ever made, but it is consistently entertaining and manages to keep the audience guessing right up until the final moments.
Special features
- Interview Gallery with Cast
- Feature Length Commentary by Director Jonathan Lynn
- Filmographies
- Theatrical Trailer
