WHY ME

US, 1990, 96 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Lambert, Christopher Lloyd, Kim Greist, Michael J.Pollard, J.T.Walsh, Lawrence Tierney.
Directed by Gene Quintano.

Why Me is a caper farce based on a novel by Donald Westlake (The Hot Rock, The Bank Shot, The Grifters Screenplay), and co-author of this script. The film is a star vehicle for Christopher Lambert - not so adept as at comedy as he is at costume drama (Greystoke, Highlander, The Sicilian). He is well matched, however, by Christopher Lloyd, the versatile character actor of the Back to the Future series, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Dream Team. There is a good supporting cast which includes J.T. Walsh -impersonating an absolutely macho and ruthless head of police in Los Angeles. The film looks good, moves with a fast pace - but is a fairly inconsequential caper.

1. Entertaining crime story with a touch of comedy?

2. Los Angeles settings, the city, the banks, the streets, apartments, police precincts? The glamour of the robbery? The musical score and the theme song at the end?

3. The title, the focus on Gus and Bruno and their exploits?

4. The central focus on the ruby: the helicopter, the speech, the Armenians robbing the Turks? The involvement of the CIA, the Los Angeles police department? The irony for Gus and Bruno robbing the safe and taking the ruby? Their not realizing its value? The beginning of the complications?

5. Gus and Bruno, their friendship, their style in robberies? Their relationship with June? June and her reaction against her father? Criticisms of Gus but love for him? Going to Ralph to fence the diamonds? Discovering the truth? The Los Angeles burglars and their meeting, Gus suggesting that they all find the ruby and make a name for themselves? His being kidnapped by the Armenians, by the burglars? Interrogated by the police? Bruno and his wanting to rob a bank? The complications of the deals about the ruby- the car from the Armenians? The Armenian woman pursuing them? The deal with Mahoney? The robbing of the vault? The pursuit by the Armenian woman? everybody tailing them? The complications wit the rendezvous - and the electronic manipulation of the phones, the elevators? Gus on the side of the building? The farcical nature of the return of the ruby and their escape? A future? Genial Crooks?

6. June, her relationship to Bruno and CUs, working the bank, helping them, participating in the final robberies and rendezvous?

7. The Turks, the traditions, the empire, the curse of the jewel, their pursuit of robbery, the safe being robbed, their arrest? The fanatical Armenian woman, the deaths to her family? Pursuit? The CIA - being made to look inept and fools?

8. Benji, the stoolie, deals with Mahoney, wanting the sex change, his arrest as the scapegoat? The Los Angeles burglars, slim and the gang, in cohorts with the Armenians


9. Mahoney and his advisor, his blunt four lettered press conferences, his not being advised? The interrogation of Ralph and letting him go? Deals with Cus? His manner, TV interviews? The final deal? The acclaim for his work? His long suffering assistant?

10. A gallery of oddball characters? Entertaining? Caper Farce?