August 2002 Who is Cletis Tout?

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Reviewed by Wilson Morales Who is Cletis Tout? Distributor: Paramount Classics Director: Chris Ver Weil Screenwriter: Chris Ver Weil Running Time: 93 min Cast: Christian Slater, Richard Dreyfus, Tim Allen, Portia de Rossi, & Rupaul Some films are made to be suspenseful. Some films are made be romantic. Some are made with both of these genres in it along with some comedy. The secret to making it work is the writing. It has to grab your attentionand keep you interested throughout its duration. “Who is Cletis Tout?” is one such film. Christian Slater is dazzling as the one who quest for freedom lands him in hot water. Tim Allen is solid in a role that could seen as “Pulp Fiction” meets the “The Player”. The film begins with Critical Jim (Tim Allen), a hitman for the mob, on the search for a man he believes is Cletis Tout (Slater). Jim is no ordinary hitman; he’s a man who LOVES movies. When he finally catches Tout, Tout begins to explain the events that led up tothis fiasco. As he starts to talks, Jim compares each scene to a plot of an old film to see if Tout’s story will buy his freedom. Tout explains that his real name is Trevor Finch and he escaped prison with a fella named Micah (Dreyfus) who had hidden away a number diamonds he stole before he got caught. As he prepares to leave town with a new identity, circumstances force Finch to work with Micah’s daughter (de Rossi) in recovering the diamonds. Meanwhile, the mob believesFinch to be Tout due to some poor execution by the henchmen hired to take care of Tout in the first place. Will Tout/Finch be able to get himself out of the mess? Jim looks at the situation and wonders what the perfect ending would be. “Who is Cletis Tout?” is fun ride for anyone who loves film noir capers. The comparison to old films is a treat, as film buffs will see. Slater is likeable as the youngest looking to start a new life but gets entangled in a new web of misery. Dreyfus’role is short but memorable. Portia de Rossi is very sassy and independent as the dutiful and loyal daughter. Allen is funny as the hitman who quotes scenes from classic films. Although the excessive amounts of quotes run tiresome at some point, this romantic comedy has enough elements for anyone to enjoy.