# Opportunists, The (2000)

### reviewed by
Laura Clifford

    THE OPPORTUNISTS
    ----------------

Vic Kelly (Christopher Walken) is a responsible, honest, hard working man. In his past life he did time for robbery and wants only to pull together his tiny, fractured family. But, his auto mechanic business is not as lucrative or easy as thieving and his debts are piling up. Vic decides to risk one more heist - the Big One - in "The Opportunists."

    ROBIN:

Vic's decision to go back to the old ways is not lightly made. His stint in the slammer caused his family to break up and go their separate ways. Since he got out, he's tried to go the straight and narrow, but, as Vic tells his patient girlfriend Sally Mahon (Cyndi Lauper), "The regular citizen thing wasn't working out too well." He has been trying to rebuild his estranged relationship with his daughter Miriam (Vera Farmiga) and foots the cost of keeping his aged Aunt Diedre (Anne Pitoniak) in an expensive nursing home. But, his checks are bouncing left and right, he's in danger of losing his business and the nuns at the nursing home are threatening to ship Aunt Dee off to Staten Island.

Life is tough for the ex-con and he's pretty vulnerable when he is approached by Pat Duffy (Donal Logue), a security guard at a small armored car business. Pat tells Vic that the owner regularly skims cash from his customer accounts and has two big bags of illicit funds just waiting to be taken. Sally had repeatedly offered to lend him the money to get back on his feet, but the proud Vic won't accept the heartfelt offer of help. The die is finally cast when Vic tells Pat, "I'll check it out."

Meanwhile, a young man enters Vic's life. Mike (Peter McDonald) is just off the plane from Ireland and tells Vic that they are cousins. The cautious Vic trusts no one and keeps the young man at arm's length. Mike works his way into the older man's familial affection and gets to go along on the job. Things go off with perfect timing until Mike blunders and puts Vic in certain danger of being caught. The inept Mike panics and runs away, leaving Vic to suffer the consequences.

"The Opportunists" has to be the most subdued performance to date for Christopher Walken. The actor is renown for his incredible intensity in such films as "The Deer Hunter" and "Prophesy." Here, as the put upon Vic, he is a working class guy who screwed his life up royally and now just wants a break. As his bank bounces his checks, Vic desperately scrabbles to pay the bills legitimately, but can't. The promise of easy money is too great a temptation as Vic makes the fateful decision to cross back across the line to a life of crime.

As portrayed by Walken, Vic is a victim of his own making, though you feel bad when things go wrong for the man and glad when things go right. It's a strong, subtle performance for the actor who is required, unfortunately, to carry most of the film himself.

There are some real problems with the movie that even Christopher Walken can't help. The screenplay by first-time helmer Myles Connell is so reality-based in its slice of life view of its Queens NY locale that it never really builds a compelling story about its main character. There is no real drama in Vic's story of loss of faith and his final redemption. Sure, you feel good when Vic gets out of his jam, but, I wasn't satisfied by the author's overall tale or many of his characters. It's a blue-collar story about an average guy with money problems at its core.

Another problem is co-star Peter McDonald. The newcomer from Ireland is passive, at best, as Michael. He is portraying a young man who comes to America to bask in the fame of Vic, who is a legend in the old country for his career in robbery. Unfortunately, McDonald gives no life to his performance and walks through the role with little emotion or character development. The sullen, confused Michael seems to be merely a device to screw things up for Vic when the thief makes his fateful decision to return to a life of crime.

Of the supporting cast only Lauper, as Sally, and Tom Noonan ("What Happened Was..."), as Mort Stein, Vic's safe-cracking mentor/trainer, are able to push themselves free of the mundane script. Cyndi Lauper, not known for her dramatic perfs, takes on the tough role of the loyal, supportive girlfriend and breaths life into her Sally. Sally may love Vic, but she isn't stupid. She'll go along with Vic's prideful stubbornness up to a point, but cuts him loose when he crosses back into the life of crime. Noonan gets to play up the quirky, paranoid Mort, who agrees to help Vic, for a price, to crack the company safe in under six minutes. Another fresh face, Vera Farmiga ("Return to Paradise"), plays Vic's daughter, Miriam, and the newcomer gets to create a little bit of presence as Michael's budding love interest. She tries, but there is no chemistry between the two thespians.

The Queens locations lend to the blue-collar look of the film and photographer Teo Maniaci enhances the working class environs where Vic lives and works. Other techs are straightforward but not notable.

Christopher Walken is an under-appreciated actor who isn't usually given the star role in a film. He gives himself over to his character study of Vic and the veteran thesp gives a solid perf. Too bad the screenplay isn't in the same league as Walken. I give "The Opportunists" a C.

    LAURA:

    N/A

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