HUDSON HAWK
US, 1991, 100 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, Andie Mc Dowell, James Coburn, Richard E. Grant, Sandra Bernhardt, Donald Burton, Don Harvey, David Caruso.
Directed by Michael Lehman.
Hudson Hawk received very negative criticisms when it was first released in the early 90s. Since Bruce Willis had a hand in the story, it was considered a vanity production for him and it had a bad effect at the time on his career.
However, soon afterwards, and with many fans, it took on something of a cult status. It is a madcap caper comedy, set in both the US and in Italy and the Vatican. It has a prologue with Leonardo da Vinci and his inventions, which leads to robberies of various da Vinci productions and a millionaire mad couple (Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhardt acting over the top) wanting to control the various pieces of a puzzle so that they can create gold.
Bruce Willis is an ex-con, an expert cat burglar who is tricked into working first of all for the Mob, then for the Mayflowers. His partner is Danny Aiello. Together they have a capacity for remembering songs, who sang them, and the running time – which they use, with Would You Like to Swing on a Star and Side by Side, singing them for the exact timing of their robberies. Andie Mc Dowell is a mysterious woman from the Vatican, who turns out to be a nun, working on industrial espionage. James Coburn is the head of a CIA group who all have nicknames like Snickers and Kit Kat.
The film is humorous, zany – and, if people are in the mood, an entertaining oddity. It was directed by Michael Lehman who made a big impact with Heathers in the 1980s but, after Hudson Hawk, made a few features but had a flourishing career in directing television episodes.
1. An entertaining crime extravaganza?
2. The negative criticisms at the time? Reaction to the expense, the vanity production? Justified criticism or not?
3. The American and Italian settings? Sing Sing, New York City, action sequences, the bars? Italy and the Vatican, the museums, the castles? Musical score?
4. The songs, the information about the songs, singers and play time? The use of Swinging on a Star, Side by Side?
5. The prologue, Italy, Italian, Leonardo da Vinci, his inventions? The discovery of gold? The auction of the horse in New York? The stealing of the Codex in the Vatican? The cubes, the invention of gold, alchemy? Leonardo’s other inventions and sketches?
6. The plot and complications? Hawk and his getting out of jail, teaming up with Tony again, the Mario brothers and their forcing him to the robbery? The Mayflowers and their eccentricity, plans, their British butler and his sinister behaviour? The Vatican connections, the CIA group? Betrayals?
7. Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk, getting out of prison, having been put there by George Kaplan? The reasons? Leaving, imprisoning the guard? Tony, the fall? The cappuccino? The new job? Going to the bar? Discussions with Tony, with the Mafiosi, the threats?
8. The rehearsals for the robbery, the songs, the drops? Getting into the museum, the monitors, fixing them? The exit, the success, the fake horse? The CIA recording the caper?
9. The Mayflowers, an eccentric couple, their behaviour, the over-the-top performance? Rich? The wanting power, money? Their behaviour, Alfred as the butler, their henchmen? The plan?
10. The CIA group, their names, Kit Kat? The blond Butterfinger and his awkwardness? Almond Joy and her strong personality? The various personalities, Kit Kat and his not speaking but having cards? The leadership of George Kaplan? Interactions with Hawk? Their work, in Rome, their kidnapping Eddie and boxing him to Italy?
11. Anna, at the auction, talking with Hawk, the attraction? Verifying the horse? The explosion in the auction room, Hawk saving her? Meeting her in the Vatican, the tour guide? The test of the security? Their discussions, her flirting? Going to confession, the cardinal, her job, espionage? Being revealed as a nun? The continued task, her reports?
12. The robbing of the Codex, trapping the guard, the escape?
13. The various groups and their encounters, tricks, betrayal? The Mayflowers and their zany reactions?
14. The robbing of the Louvre – but Hudson Hawk knocked out?
15. Putting the pieces together, the attempts to know what was going on, the various pieces of information?
16. 'Side by Side'? In the Vatican?
17. The culmination, the fights, the various deaths? Tony going over the side? The CIA fights? Anna, Hawk, reunited, being together, Tony reappearing?
18. A happy ending – with Hawk sabotaging the alchemy machine and destroying the enemies – and living happily ever after?
