In his second big film of the season (in addition to his supporting role in "A Few Good Men"), Jack Nicholson stars as Jimmy Hoffa in Danny DeVito's "Hoffa" - and it's another knockout performance.
Given that, it's a bit of a mystery why we know so little about the Teamsters boss when the movie is over.
he problem certainly doesn't lie with Nicholson, who gives it his all under tons of face makeup - and Nicholson's all is something indeed. And it's hard to fault DeVito's direction, certainly his most ambitious and creative yet.
Perhaps it's the screenplay by David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross," "The Untouchables"), which never gets under Hoffa's skin, never sufficiently explores his ambitions or even lets us in on any details of his personal life. In fact, when Hoffa's wife abruptly appears late in the film, and later still, when we hear a child say, "Goodbye, Grandpa," the audience may be a bit surprised to realize he has a family.
Still, the film manages to be very entertaining and gives us something of a sense of the man who is revered by many for helping the working class claim decent wages. And though it doesn't sidestep his mob connections or accusations that he misappropriated cash from the union pension fund, it doesn't explore them very deeply, either.
The film begins with Hoffa and his right-hand man, Bobby Ciaro (DeVito), driving into a cafe parking lot for some kind of meeting. Most of the rest of the film is in flashback as Ciaro reminisces about his relationship with Hoffa over the years.
Their first meeting occurs when Hoffa climbs aboard a truck Ciaro is driving, in order to pitch the Teamsters union. Ciaro is reluctant, and with good reason. It isn't long before he's fired, simply because he is acquainted with Hoffa. He is naturally quite angry, at first. But eventually he joins up and gradually becomes Hoffa's protege and best friend.
The film concentrates on Hoffa's rise in the Teamsters, his association with mobsters (represented by Armand Assante), his battles with Attorney General Robert Kennedy (Kevin Anderson) and his time in prison. It also speculates about his disappearance, with a twist at the end, which you may or may not see coming. Depending on how many movies you see.
Certainly the film is opulent, with the period reconstructed most affectionately. And though one can argue that such real-life characters as Bobby Kennedy and Frank Fitz-sim-mons seem to be played contrary to the way they really were, it's hard to criticize the actors, all of whom are marvelous.
DeVito's directing is stylish and some of his transitions are fascinating. He's also good in his acting role, which seems better written than the title character. It does seem odd that in the end, we have a stronger emotional connection with and understanding of DeVito's character than Jimmy Hoffa.
But Nicholson's performance is hard to ignore. Hoffa may not be filled out in the screenplay but he's definitely full-blown by the actor. There are some performers who are just a joy to watch, whatever character they play - and certainly Nicholson is one.