Queens Logic (1991)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Written by Tony Spiradakis
Directed by Steve Rash
Starring Joe Mantegna, Kevin Bacon, Linda Fiorentino, John Malkovich, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ken Olin, Tony Spiradakis, Tom Waits, and Chloe Webb

Released by: Artisan
Region: 1
Rating: R
Anamorphic: Nope; full-frame city.

My Advice: Rent it.

Ray (Olin) is scheduled to marry Patricia (Webb) on Saturday, and all the old gang from his childhood is gathering to celebrate. Unfortunately, Al’s (Mantagna) wedding is on the rocks, Dennis (Bacon) is a failure as a musician in Hollywood, and Eliot (Malkovich) can’t find a man to suit him that’s comfortable with his personality.

In short, everything’s screwed. The only member of the “old gang” that seems comfortable in his own skin is their shady fence friend Monte (Waits). So as the wedding draws nearer, Ray gets cold feet, Al hides his marriage troubles from his friends while flirting with the occasional mystery woman (Curtis in an excellent cameo), and Eliot threatens people. The whole mess plays out over a short few days, and along the way everybody has to grow up a little bit and decide what they’re really looking for from life.

Queens Logic is an excellent ensemble piece in the vein of The Big Chill. As such, the whole picture lives or dies based on the performances of its cast. This one hangs together pretty well, though it’s really the performances of Mantegna and Malkovich that stand out. Jamie Lee Curtis is also excellent in her brief screen time, as is Tom Waits. The others do admirably, make no mistake, but they don't provide anything that really leaps off the screen.

The story is a little too cliche in many ways: old friends gathered for a wedding with a reluctant groom and grown-up problems. It’s been done, and about the only distinguishing feature of this particular interpretation is setting the whole thing in Queens. Despite its occasional predictability, the tale remains entertaining.

The DVD provides nothing to write home about, not even bothering with widescreen. This is a little disappointing for a film as relatively recent as this one, and with such a talented cast, you’d expect they could have found somebody to talk about the thing in a commentary track. I’d like to hear more from co-star/writer Spiridakis, as the whole project smacks of a labor of love and I’m sure he’s got interesting things to say about working with this group of actors.

The movie definitely merits a rental, though without a better DVD treatment, it’s not likely to end up in many permanent collections. The movie’s not quite good enough to stand as a keeper without some features to pad it out, but unfortunately this one didn't merit the star treatment from those involved.