Hoffa (1992)

Powerful

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

As Good As It Gets

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Hoffa is not the disaster many film critics made it out to be in 1992. It's a movie made in earnest from it's director, Danny DeVito. DeVito explores the life and disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa with fascination and plenty of style. He makes Jimmy Hoffa come back to life, and convincingly so by an incredible turn by the great Jack Nicholson. Arguably, one of the great roles of his career. His most underrated by far. Hoffa is portrayed here as a true leader and a working-man's hero. A man who fought endlessly for the Teamsters. Despite his criminal activity, DeVito and screenwriter David Mamet convey how Hoffa's passion for his people made him beloved by all that knew him. The ending proves to be controversial, as DeVito dares to take a guess as to how Hoffa disappeared. Whether it's portrayed as a metaphor, or simply just a matter-of-fact assassination attempt, it's interesting, if anything, to see this take on one of America's greatest mysteries. Hoffa is no masterpiece, but it's pretty good for what it is.

This is a really bad movie! It's such a shame that Danny De Vito doesn't stick to directing comedies because he is much more suited to that style. Jack Nicholson acted very well but not outstanding, however his acting i believe did redeem the film a little. The films story line was all over the place and very confusing if you did not know the history behind it. Many of the scenes were filmed on built cardboard sets which was very obvious throughout and looked shockingly bad. Danny De Vito's character was completely fictional and seemed to have been placed in the movie due to his own admiration for Jimmy Hoffa. A number of scenes in the film were laughable , very over dramatized and patriotic. I do appreciate how difficult biographical movies are to make but this one is awful and considering the amount of highly skilled actors involved a complete disappointment.

I don't care that the ending was fictional, because it was poetically correct. The life of Hoffa was poetical in its intensity, and the burning righteousness of the man comes through in this picture. Nicholson plays Hoffa excellently on his own terms, conveying the fearlessness of the man and his complex relationship to the mobsters who cashed in on his enormous pension fund by taking legal loans that Hoffa didn't skim. The climax of the story is genuinely tragic as Hoffa is persecuted by Bobby Kennedy, thrown in prison, and murdered by the mob when he gets out and tries to get his union, the Teamsters, back under his control. The motivation of Hoffa drives this picture and its a scandal that the film apparently never made a profit, presumably because of prejudice against unions in the mass-media. Hats off to Danny De Vito for putting up the money for this picture and for directing it and co- starring. His depiction of Hoffa's little lifelong under-man is fine. Altogether a high-minded and grand picture that held my attention for the duration, and moved me at the end. More American movies like this would help their cause no end.

I like everything about this movie except for Danny DeVito's self-written role. It's like your watching this great historically accurate movie and then all-of-a-sudden it cuts to a scene of DeVito getting laid by some beautiful woman. I mean how does that even fit into the story, except to boost DeVito's ego? I don't know about you, but I don't want to see DeVito's promiscuous fantasies being acted out in an otherwise good movie just because he has the ability to write his own part. If you're gonna be writing the script for your own character and the greatest thing you can think of is gratuitously getting your character laid by lots of different women throughout the movie? Uugggh- gross! Am I the only one that was bothered by this? Is there some historical reason that his character was actually based on a person who needed to be portrayed in that way?