Hoffa (1992)

director: Danny De Vito

writer: David Mamet

starring: Jack Nicholson, Danny De Vito, Armand Assante

genre: Biopic, Drama

It's been a long time that I have wanted to see this film. As a gangster fan I always was intrigued with Hoffa and his connection to the mob. I didn't really no that much about him except of the fact that he was a union guy, that was in bed with mob and was buried in a football stadium. Which is a common joke in the U.S.. Now seeing the film I have better view on the man, behind the biggest union in U.S. history the Teamsters. Hoffa was a man with a dream and a goal that workers would have rights and not be taken advantage of and would be accomplished no matter who stand in his way.

As you can tell by the title, the film is about Jimmy Hoffa (Jack Nicholson), probably the most important or one of the most important men in American union history. The film follows Hoffa from his start of getting truck drivers to join the Teamsters union, to his fateful fall and prison time. The story is told threw flashbacks threw Hoffa's best firend and confidant Bobby Cicero (Danny De Vito). Bobby remembers all the important events of his life with Hoffa and how Hoffa changed his life and of other workers completely.

The film is directed by Danny De Vito. Here De Vito shows his talent in drama and directing besides the comedy which everybody knows him for. De Vito with Hoffa showed his class in handling a period piece biopic, of a controversial nature. It's sad that after seeing this film De Vito never managed to make something of a similar nature. He did make other very good films like Matilda or War of the Roses but nothing ever close to a historic nature as Hoffa.

Funny fact about this film is how Nicholson managed to get a Golden Globe nomination and an Razzie Nomination (Opposite of Oscars). Its incredible to think that there were two extreme reactions to his, in my opinion great performance. All of the performance as a matter of fact are very good and another bravo to De Vito to his direction of the actors and of his own acting in the film.

Once again im coming back to De Vito again and again in this review. But its because of the great job he did on the film. The way he tells the story and his direction choices that make this film so special and unique. De Vito's transitions, fade in's, flashbacks all help to get us immersed into the film and the period. Ηis storytelling is very much interesting because of the way characters interact with each other in the film. Never do we get ache of emotion or something not integral to the story from the characters. For example a chicle in most biopic films is for the historical person to go to bed at night to his wife and talk about his troubles. None of that kind of stuff is present in Hoffa. Just straight forward essential storytelling.

Hoffa is a visually interesting and intriguing story of a man who's anger got the better of him. Anyone interested in gangster films or even a tiny bit curious about union history in the U.S. should check Hoffa out.