Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Movie Review

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

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Written by: Scott Rosenberg
Directed by: Gary Fleder
Starring: Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, William Forsythe, Treat Williams, Steve Buscemi, Fairuza Balk, Glenn Plummer
Rated: R
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Plot
Jimmy and his four accomplices face imminent death after botching a job, angering the local crime boss.

Verdict
It's gangster movie that turns solemn when a job goes bad and the crew is marked for death. It's a ragtag group, and the question becomes, how do you face that. Do you run, hide, or embrace it by going out on your own terms? What do you do when you know you're going to die? That adds a lot of depth to this. It's rare for the protagonist to accept their fate. There’s no big standoff or plot device that swoops in at the end. The end is coming, and it’s inescapable.
It depends.

Review
Former gangster Jimmy Tosnia (Andy Garcia) is called back into action by his former boss (Christopher Walken). Jimmy tried to run a legitimate business with people recording videos for their loved ones after they die. Unfortunately, the company is struggling and Jimmy's boss buys all the debt to force Jimmy into a deal.

Fairuza Balk, Andy Garcia play Lucinda, Jimmy

The boss's son attacked a young girl, and the boss believes that his son's desires can be tempered if he's reunited with his ex-girlfriend. The specifics don't matter as Jimmy doesn't have a choice. You can't say no to the boss. Jimmy calls upon his old friends to help him out. To reunite this couple. they need to get rid of the girlfriend's current boyfriend. The job is spectacularly unsuccessful. In turn the boss plans to take out everyone involved to eliminate any loose ends.

This could be a cult film with a boost or two. This doesn't squeeze enough action nor fun out of anything. Mr. Shh (Steve Buscemi) is the assassin tasked with cleaning everything up. That could be more of a character as Buscemi doesn't look like a hit man, but the movie doesn't do enough with him.

The movie is a a rumination on death and what you do when you realize the end is near. Members of the crew run, hide, or accept it. Jimmy pleads with the boss not to kill them to no effect. Unfortunately, the inevitable will not be delayed. It's ironic or darkly comical that Jimmy's business is recording peoples memories to share after death. The movie is punctuated with these clips of people imparting their last thoughts and wisdom.

Treat Williams, Bill Nunn, William Forsythe, Christopher Lloyd play 
Critical Bill, Easy Wind, Big Bear Franchise, Pieces

Jimmy helps his friend Lucinda (Fairuza Balk), first by beating up a guy that attacked her. That seems more for him than her, his frustrations at his fate boiling over in the form of rage. He helps her again, this a much more personal favor. He also leaves his girlfriend and exacts his revenge on the boss before he calmly accepts his fate.

It's rare for a gangster movie where the protagonist doesn't fight back. Protagonists rarely die like this and that makes the movie unique. It just doesn't do enough with the characters. Even Mr. Shhh could be more interesting. There's not much of a chase, even for characters that would warrant such a thing.