For me - "The Great Buck Howard" - is hard to knock in many respects.
Well, when it comes to John Malkovich, for sure!
The seasoned pro is always a delight to watch in any role he chooses to inhabit - and in this instant case - he has nudged his way into the very heartbeat of the character hands down.
One mannerism nagged the he** out of me, though, by the time the credits rolled.
An over-the-top heart-warming handshake Buck Howard (played by Malkovich to near perfection) foisted on every character he crossed paths with in the well-written comedy wore a little thin quick as a wink.
In a nutshell, the poignant tale is about a once-famous mentalist (no, the artist is not a mere magician) who connives to worm his way into the big time once again before the elusive opportunity for a last gasp at the brass ring slips away forever.
A young man, bored with law school and pining to find is way in the great scheme of things, answers an ad one day - and before you can pull a rabbit out of a hat - the naive lad is gainfully employed as a road manager for the slightly eccentric stage performer who is not only a stickler for details - but above all else - a precise routine that doesn't play havoc with his sly game plan.
The new hire is likable enough, but most certainly a little wet behind the ears; in fact, it's written all over his cherubic face.
The actor (played by Colin Hanks) isn't your typical pretty boy lead turned out by one of the majors to test the waters.
As a matter of fact, he's average-looking, but in an appealing - "grows on 'ya" - kind of way.
When we were teens on-the-make oft swayed by raging hormones, we'd often rate a less attractive date by the number of beers you'd have to down before you'd hop into the sack with 'em.
In this instant case, that yardstick definitely applies to Buck's chief cook and bottle-washer.
For his big comeback, Buck Howard zeroes in on Cincinnati (cause they like him there) where he anticipates a stunning "effect" (he gets angry when his sleight-of-hand is referred to as a mere magic trick) he has just conjured from the depths of his psyche will nab him National attention and summarily catapult him back into the limelight on the Tonight Show.
That does happen, but in a round-about poignant way.
In a running gag throughout the film, the master of illusion boasts ad nauseam that he appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson sixty-one times.
In contrast, Howard has his knives out for Jay Leno, who hasn't even tossed a crumb his way.
About half-way through the fast-paced farce, Howard appears to go through some kind of epiphany, which ultimately transforms the aging trickster into a genuine old soul who at long last finds peace in his personal and professional life.
Along the way, Hank's character wrestles with his own demons, and ends up signalling by the closing act that - he, too - will come out alright.
One of the few scenes that didn't gel for me occurred at a pivotal point in the film when the actor's real-life father - Tom Hanks - sauntered into the picture and was paired in a scene with son Colin which I found downright distracting.
When the audience is forced to watch histrionics go down between the two, they can't help but compare Tom's finely-honed talent with that of his scene partner, marvel at how similar the thespians physical characteristics are, and so forth and so on.
Big mistake!
It wasn't until Tom disappeared into the woodwork that the story got back on track.
I expect that Mr. Hanks (senior) has to be faulted for that poor judgment call, since he took on the mantle of producer, as well.
To ensure that sonny boy got the part?
There's nothing worse than nepotism in Hollywood, except for the casting couch, of course.
There didn't appear to be any hint of incest here, so I rest my case.
"The Great Buck Howard" is not great, but most certainly, near great.
While eliciting wild guffaws from a captive audience, "Buck" manages to make a subtle statement about the vagaries of fame, the lack of manners in our "me"-oriented society, and a keen insight into the ugly underbelly of the human condition in America today.
I say, two thumbs up!
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