Writer/director George Gallo's buddy movie, DOUBLE TAKE, stars Orlando Jones
(THE REPLACEMENTS) as sophisticated stockbroker Daryl Chase and Eddie
Griffin (DEUCE BIGALOW: MALE GIGOLO) as foul-mouthed street hustler Freddy
Tiffany. The confusing and awkward script is loosely based on the 1957
movie ACROSS THE BRIDGE with Rod Steiger.
DOUBLE TAKE is a comedy in which half of the audience's laughs at our
screening came from Freddy's propensity to mock his little, white, fluffy
dog by calling her "bitch." Personally, I didn't find any of the film
funny, although I did smile when Freddy tried to drive a car across the Rio
Grande. Whoops, too deep.
It all starts when Daryl befriends Freddy, who is falsely accused of a
crime. Or is he? The movie relies on the old routine of things frequently
not being what they seem. Well, before you know it, Daryl is suspected of a
double murder and is heading for Mexico, where the CIA will protect him.
Along the way, Daryl and Freddy swap identities. Daryl, who graduated from
Harvard, has to learn the ways of the street from Freddy, who graduated from
"HKU (Hard Knock University)." In one embarrassing scene, Daryl shows off
his impersonation skills by being loud and obnoxious to a black Amtrak
waiter, while demanding Schlitz Malt Liquor with his dinner.
The ridiculousness of the script is perhaps best shown in Daryl's actions on
the train. While the train is moving, he demands that they install a
2-line phone, Internet access and a Fax machine in his compartment. This
just doesn't make any sense whether you take his request to be a serious
one, as it appears to be, or as a joke. In either case, it isn't funny, and
it doesn't make any sense in the context of the story.
The entire movie plays like a reject for a convoluted Saturday Night Live
skit. And if you ignore the comedic parts and evaluate the movie as a cop
drama -- after all, lots of people die -- it has even less to offer. This
movie isn't even worth a first take, much less a double take.
DOUBLE TAKE runs 1:30. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language and
would be acceptable for kids around 11 and up.
My son Jeffrey, age 11, thought the film was funny and gave it ***. His
favorite part was the way that they switched places. He said that the story
did not fit together properly so they should have spent about 15 more
minutes in the beginning developing the characters.
Copyright © 2001 Steve Rhodes
out of 4
