“The one thing you can count on is word on the street - that’s solid.” Charlie Barret
Suicide Kings refers to the adolescent practice of calling out wild cards before each hand of poker is dealt; ...deuces, treys, one-eyed Jacks, suicide Kings…
I’m a big fan of Christopher Walken, whose stock in trade is his uncanny ability to convey menace like few other actors can. Just one expression on Walken’s face can speak as eloquently as a Shakespearean soliloquy.
The basic idea behind Suicide Kings is the kidnapping of Charlie Barret (Christopher Walken), a mafia don, by a handful of rich frat boys. It turns out that the sister of one of them has also been kidnapped and they want to trade the big fish for her. As the film plays out we realize there is a rat among the kidnappers and the rest of the running time concerns ferreting out the rodent.
The film is basically a play, with the main location the parlor of a ritzy house in the Hamptons with hostage Christopher Walken duct taped to a chair. Despite Walken’s immobilization, his marvelous acting comes through in his facial expressions and vocal inflections and he easily steals every scene. The four frat boys do a creditable job in their fairly undemanding parts, played by Sean Patrick Flannery (Boondock Saints), Henry Thomas, Jeremy Sisto, and Jay Mohr.
A fifth rich kid (John Galecki) becomes involved when he comes home and finds his friends have used his vacationing parents’ home as a base to hold their hostage. Galecki provides the comic relief as the nerdy, obviously Jewish Ira who plays the guy who was always trying to break into the cool guys clique and never quite making it. You’ve all known guys like this.
A third recurring character is Lono Vecchio (Dennis Leary) a hit man methodically combing the streets in search of his boss, Charlie Barret.
Between Walken, Galecki, and Dennis Leary, with the able support of the four frat boys, it makes Suicide Kings quite a treat to watch with both dramatic and comic moments.
Peter O’Fallon directed Suicide Kings in his feature film debut. Despite a little bit of trendy and stylized film treatments, his direction is refreshingly free of camerabatics. The main story is periodically interrupted by flashbacks, with each adding a new plot twist. In my opinion, it would have been better to dispense with some of the twists as the story became less interesting the more people were implicated. Still, it was a pretty good job and definitely not inferior to some of Tarantino’s acclaimed hits like Pulp Fiction.
I think O’Fallon resolved the ending very well also, although the DVD includes a couple alternate endings for the viewer to appraise. The film did not do all that well at the box office and it is possible the title put people off. I would think a snappier title would help get Suicide Kings the recognition it deserves.
The Artisan DVD is presented in 1.85: 1 theatrical format. There are a host of extras, including full director’s commentary, deleted scenes, alternate endings, subtitles, and documentaries.
Viewers who enjoy Suicide Kings will also enjoy
Boondock Saints, Pulp Fiction, and True Romance
Happy viewing!
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SUICIDE KINGS
