PRIZZI'S HONOR (1985) C widescreen 129m dir: John Huston

w/Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Robert Loggia, John Randolph, William Hickey, Lee Richardson, Michael Lombard, Anjelica Huston, George Santopietro, Lawrence Tierney

From The Movie Guide: "Director John Huston, one-time master of film noir, returns to the form with a black comedy about the Mafia. The film benefits from some stellar performances from Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, and William Hickey. This was the penultimate film from the ailing great director. It is also one of his best.

"Charley Partanna (Nicholson) is an aging dopey hit man who works for a powerful New York Mafia family. He spots luscious Irene Walker (Turner) at a gangster wedding and loses his heart. She's ostensibly a tax consultant living in Los Angeles, and soon Charley finds himself flying westward to court her. Then he discovers that she is really a hit woman for the mob. With this, at least, Charley can identify, but when he learns that Irene has cheated his own Mafia family --- the Prizzis --- out of a great sum of money, his loyalties are painfully divided. The finale is a shocker finish few viewers will ever forget. It's all good and funny in a cynical, bleak sort of way, reflecting the then 78-year-old Huston's perspective of the world. A lesser-known director might have been pilloried for bad taste. Huston was not only tolerated but cheered.

"The film received a host of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Supporting Actor (Hickey), Best Costume Design [Donfeld], Best Direction, Best Editing [Rudi Fehr, Kaja Fehr], and Best Screenplay from Another Medium (Richard Condon, Janet Roach [from Condon's novel]). Anjelica Huston (the director's daughter) won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress."