The Legend of Al, John and Jack
Directed by Massimo Venier, Aldo Baglio
- comedy
- crime
The story
Hapless Depression-era gangsters Al, John and Jack find out their boss wants to get rid of them and come up with a plan to sell him to the FBI, but Al's short-term memory loss could make it difficult.
What it’s like
Bright, broad, and cartoonishly staged, with the warm, slightly stagey palette of a 1930s American crime pastiche: sepia-tinged streets, pinstripe suits, fedoras, smoky backrooms and sunny Depression-era roadsides. The camera mostly holds on the three leads in medium and wide shots, so the physical gags land cleanly, and the editing is brisk without being frantic. The score leans on jaunty, old-fashioned swing and comic stingers that undercut every tense moment. The mood is cheerful and mischievous, a playful caper rather than a grim gangster story. Pacing is quick and episodic, built on repetition, mistaken identities and escalating mix-ups. The emotional register stays light; the friendship among the three men is the warm centre, with the central character's memory lapses giving the jokes their engine. Violence is present but cartoonish: guns are fired and men are pushed around, with slapstick falls and no gore. Some threat and mild peril, with little real cruelty. It suits a relaxed Saturday evening, a comfort watch, or a group laugh, and it's for people who enjoy old-school farce and the ensemble chemistry of a trio of clowns.
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