In Dito Montiel’s “Riff Raff,” a silly combination of a crime story and a comedy, each member of the star-studded cast yawns through lines they’ve delivered a million times along with montages from their other works. Jennifer Coolidge continues to play her signature role in a forgettable performance. Ed Harris falls back into his unremarkable tough dad persona, which, at least here, is an upgrade from the father figure he portrayed in “Love Lies Bleeding.” Bill Murray is there as a bored yet reliable antagonist check, and Pete Davidson is in full unhinged mode as expected. This film offers yet another uninspired collection of comedic scenes woven together with a lethargic thriller and a half-baked family mystery.
It’s too bad Montiel is a filmmaker because he demonstrated his ingenuity in “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” (2006), his coming-of-age autobiography that merges a heartfelt coming-of-age tale with a solid crime story. The beginning of “Riff Raff” reminds one of that voice, but only for momentary laps when we see the instantly loveable DJ (Miles J. Harvey, who should have had a bigger part in the film) holding his stepfather Vincent (Harris) at gunpoint. In an engaging voiceover, DJ gives us the lowdown of his reality, and it’s clear, that none of what we see was in the cards for him. Instead, this young man was all set to be a freshman at Dartmouth, and this whole altercation with his stepdad would make sense if he went back to tell us from the beginning.
With John Pollono’s screenplay, it is the DJ’s voice we hear, reminding us that family is usually something you worry about only when trouble brews. Michal B. is a mastered whiplash as DJ’s childhood is revealed. Woven into a backstory are flashbacks including the surprising appearance of Marina, an Italian ex-girlfriend of Rocco (Lewis Pullman and Emanuela Postaccihini play out the roles). Struggling as they are, the couple is embroiled in a brutal crime and are being hunted by Davidson’s Lonny and Murray’s Leftie two quirky, bantering gangsters that showcase the disturbing talent we’ve seen plenty of times in Coen Brothers and Martin Scorsese movies. It’s never established what makes these maniacs so funny and so terrifying at the same time, leading us to believe they were not made to be sympathized with. That’s why along the way to Maine where DJ, his father Vincent, and mother Sandy (Gabrielle Union) stay, we are cheering for Marina, the now caricatured earth-toned sensual Italian woman, and a panicked Rocco. Also along with them is Ruth (Coolidge), Vincent’s ex-wife, who is the very last person the family expects, or warms up to, at the cabin.
For a holiday-themed movie, it is astonishing that Montiel does not capitalize on the setting’s potential for contrast to the crime-comedy he is directing. The same applies to the movie’s Maine location there is not enough attention to detail in the film’s setting and construction design that would make “Riff Raff” feel like a quintessential New England film. Nonetheless, there are a number of richly expansive flashbacks that enhance the story Montiel and Pollono are trying to tell in the present. With some shifts in the timeline, we witness the adorable early stages of Rocco and Marina’s romance, the relatable nerdiness of DJ, who recently experienced a brutal breakup, and Sandy as she introduces her fiancé, Vincent, to her affluent parents, who regard Vincent with great suspicion regarding his intentions towards their daughter.
Do not worry the convoluted mess in which these poor souls strut around aimlessly in “Riff Raff” does eventually make sense. But the answers and clarity are only revealed too late in the story, resulting in an unearned, violent climax that feels out of place. Some comforting, yet, puzzling characterization is how “Riff Raff” opts to end with right before unleashing the on-screen violence. That entire shift in tone is problematic for the entire movie which appears to be an off-beat comedy and deeply serious thriller at the same time. It is not to say that a film cannot mix genres, but the way Montiel and Pollono deliver makes you feel starved, not for a better dark comedy with jaws, but for a sharper, and more reputed crime flick. The “Riff Raff” pays homage to “Goodfellas” and “No Country for Old Men” are rife with those qualities which this film lacks, and here, you get neither.
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