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Things Change (1988)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 4/25

4/25: The Mafia version of The Last Detail, Things Change is an appropriate title, but David Mamet screwed up the ending.

If he had Jerry putting a bullet between Gino's eyes instead of letting Frankie take the fall, that's it. Think about this. Jerry is a Mafia hood and only knows orders and does his job accordingly. Despite his limited intelligence, Gino subtly teaches him the value of friendship. Jerry's toughness begins to break down. Eventually, he's told by Frankie to kill Gino. Knowing that he has no choice, Jerry does it because that's the ultimate price he must pay in order to get off probation. This way, the movie becomes powerful.

Anyway, everything else is very Mamet-esque just like the earlier masterpiece House of Games. Regulars appear as expected: Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, J.T. Walsh, Mike Nussbaum, and J.J. Johnston. The only newcomer to this style is Don Ameche. He sets the tone, and Joe Mantegna's brilliance takes care of the rest.

Back to the ending, let's examine the artificial plot device of the coin. Suppose Gino called Don Giuseppe and explained what's up. How do you think he's going to react? There's no way he'll take the whole shenanigan kindly because he's in the Mafia that's filled with stone-cold killers. That being said, their word of honor means nothing. Otherwise, Gino's deal would've stuck.

All in all, Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna were certainly robbed of Oscar nominations for Things Change.

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