Get Shorty (2017)
Cast includes: Chris O’Dowd (Calvary), Lidia Porto (Horrible Bosses 2), Sean Bridgers (Room), Carolyn Dodd (The Adventures of Catty Wompus), Isaac Keys (Jurassic World), Goya Robles (11:55), Ray Romano (The Big Sick), Lucy Walters (Here Alone), Megan Stevenson (Review), Billy Magnussen (Bridge of Spies)
Creator: Davey Holmes (Shameless), from a novel by Elmore Leonard
Genre: Crime | Thriller | Comedy | Miniseries (1-hour episodes)
As Amara enjoys lunch in her window booth at the Silver Dust Casino in Pahrump, Nevada, a man outside the window is snatched and thrown into a van. At first we think Amara is just a tarted-up, middle-aged bystander… until her phone rings… “You tell me who you talk to. You wag your fucking tongue, I cut it off.” It’s just a threat, but her knucklehead nephew, Yago, likes the idea. Meanwhile, Miles Daly is watching a 3D movie with his daughter Emma. “You didn’t like it,” says Emma. “I just didn’t buy it,” says Miles, analyzing the film’s shortcomings. Katie Daly is waiting outside to take Emma home. “As of today, it’s been 6 months (since the separation). We should celebrate.” It turns out Katie was thinking more along the lines of making the separation permanent. Anyway, Amara’s on the phone. Miles and Louis are the cleanup crew, and there’s a body without a tongue to clean up. Driving the car and body to the scrap yard for crushing, Miles gets philosophical... “You ever watch Rachel Ray?” he asks Louis. “She says you gotta take responsibility for your actions,” he says, thinking about the problem with Katie. “What if it’s me who has to change?”
Miles and Louis get their next assignment from Yago… “A collection. If he doesn’t pay, close the account.” Miles argues that they don’t close accounts, but the 2 of them are soon headed to Hollywood to collect from Owen. The route goes by way of a movie set where Rick Moreweather is making a cheesy monster film. Nathan Hill, an aspiring actor, is on his knees servicing Rick’s lead actors. Nathan and Owen are roommates, but Nathan doesn’t know where Owen is. Miles and Louis say they’re planning to surprise Owen, but Nathan spills the beans. By the time they catch up with Owen, he’s frantically packing his valuables… including the screenplay he’s been working on for 10 years. He had borrowed money from Amara to win at blackjack and finance the movie. “It could win a fucking Oscar.” “Move over that way,” says Louis. “Cleaning your brains off the bookshelf is gonna be a hassle.” Miles is truly interested in the movie, when Louis splatters Owen’s brains on the wall. “What the fuck! We were having a conversation!” “How great a writer could he be, living in this shithole?” says Louis.
Miles keeps the bloody script, and that gets him thinking about going into a different line of work so he can win Katie and Emmy back. How hard could it be to make a movie? Based on the 1990 novel by Elmore Leonard, Get Shorty is a gritty, wacky, irreverent crime thriller with one delightful plot twist after another. The script is excellent… both in plot development and dialog. As for the acting… it’s hard to know where to begin. Of course, Chris O’Dowd is amazing as the gentle-mannered Irishman, Miles. Lidia Porto plays the lethal Amara with a remarkable mix of over-the-hill sex kitten and menace. Ray Romano plays the startlingly dense film producer that Miles convinces to help make the film… with a cash infusion from Amara. If you’re a fan of offbeat crime thrillers, Get Shorty is a must-see… if only for the pleasure of watching Miles digest every setback… “I’m laughing on the inside.”
4 popped kernels
Sick of wet work, Miles hatches a farfetched plan for leaving his crime cartel behind… except that the crime cartel follows him to Hollywood
Popcorn Profile
Rated: TV-MA (Language, Violence, Crime, Drugs)
Audience: Young Adults
Gender Style: Bold
Distribution: Small screen: EPIX
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Zips Right Along
Visual Style: Nicely Varnished Realism
Nutshell: Movie producing vs body disposal
Language: Irreverent
