Review of Safe Men

Safe Men (1998)
8/10
very funny and no, I'm not Jewish
7 October 2015
Someone remarked here that "Safe Men" could only be enjoyed if you were Jewish -- I'm not, but I still enjoyed it.

"Safe Men" is about two bad singers, Sam and Eddie (Sam Rockwell and Steve Zahn) who are mistaken for two safecrackers (Mark Ruffalo and Josh Paris) and are forcibly recruited by mobster Big Fat Bernie Gayle (Michael Lerner) to rob three safes. And that's just the test.

After being released by Gayle, the two men proceed to a gift shop where Sam smells candles and chooses items for a gift basket for Big Fat Bernie, figuring that then he won't make them rob any safes.

Gayle is ably assisted by Veal Chop (Paul Giamatti), his loyal flunkie. One activity currently in the household is the preparation of Big Fat Bernie Gayle Jr.'s bar mitzvah.

Harvey Fierstein plays Leo, a fence, whose daughter, Hannah (Christina Kirk), is the object of the affections of both Sam and one of the real safecrackers.

The standout for me is Paul Giamatti, who is hilarious.

There was a lot of laugh-out-loud humor in this. I admit that this writer, John Hamburg, has written some films I don't like with crude humor that is geared to the lowest common denominator. I prefer humor that comes out of ridiculous situations. This one fit the bill.
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