Who Is Cletis Tout? (2002)

Sorry, this movie sucks

So much average

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Blistering performances.

Okay, it's not the worst. It has some bad stuff in it, mainly over the story setting. Apparently it is completely easy for a magician to steal a handful of diamonds and also to escape from prison several years later by using his tricks. Much of the acting was great, and some of the dialogs were good too. I personally enjoyed Michael Conolly's monologue at the morgue, though it proved pointless to the plot. I hated Portia de Rossi's character. There's no explanation of why she's such a bitch, and she's annoying most of the part. RuPaul was totally unnecessary. He's just some weird transvestite neighbor who has the hot's for Finch. And, of course, he has to act all macho in the end, I don't know why. Tim Allen was good, interesting character. My favorite scene with him was in the subway. It was a little disturbing to see him curse like that, but it was funny. The mobsters were very good, but they had too much development for what the central story was. Good music, although it was too dramatic for chase scenes, average script, great actors, not to good of an ending. It's not very good, but it isn't really that bad. It's sort of in between. Either way, it's watchable.

With Richard Dreyfous, Christian Slater (in a better than usual performance) and Portia De Rossi this crime/comedy is both under-rated and little known. Along the lines of "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" but less serious, the opening is well worth it. Diamonds, mistaken identity and harrowing narrow escape combine with De Rossi's potent female character (you'll even get to see her fire a semi- automatic! Narration throughout is great for movie buffs because the main character weaves movie references that made me smile. Not typical Hollywood, interesting and the pace is excellent. Frankly, I'm up for seeing other Chris Ver Weil movies (he both writes and directs) and found out he's basically only done "Waiting Game." Anyone know it?

I'm referring to Tim Allen's CRITICAL JIM character. He's pretty funny in this movie. He is a murdering sociopathic hitman but he has a soft spot for good stories/happy endings. I didn't care for this movie until 3/5ths the way through it then the dogged work of the detective who figures out SPOILER AHEAD:that Tout isn't who he says he is and the whole business of putting the crime lord's son in jail would be wrecked if the cops followed the letter of the law. I like those kinds of twists where you have to do the wrong thing to get the right resolution. Only in the movies.

"Who is Cletis Tout" is a noirish little crime comedy romp which tells of a movie quoting film fan and hitman (Allen) who holds an excon and flimflam man (Slater) at gun point while the latter recounts why he isn't who the former thinks he is via flashbacks until the flashbacks catch up with present time and the film runs out from there. Got that? If it sounds a bit convoluted, it's because it is. However, there's enough good natured, not-to-be-taken-seriously fun going on in this busy flick to make it marginally enjoyable even if you don't try to follow the story and just no-brain it. A happy mix of murder and diamonds and love and chicanery and groaners, etc. which will make for a lukewarm critic frustrating couch potato watch. (B-)