Benjamin's Stash: Video Pick of the Week

      Time for this week's video pick which arrives a day later than normal. Tuesday was one of those "throw your laptop at the wall" kind of days. Anyway, today's pick is a terrifically written comedy that when released kinda flew under the radar. That being said, it features an extremely talented cast a script rife with hilarious dialogue.

      In You Kill Me, Frank Falenczyk (Ben Kingsley) is a hitman for a Polish mob family in Buffalo, New York. He’s also a raging alcoholic. After botching an important hit that could potentially put the family in danger, the head of the family, Roman Krzeminski (Philip Baker Hall) sends him to San Francisco to clean himself up and attend an Alcoholics Anonymous group. Once in San Francisco, he finds a place and gets a job as a mortician’s assistant at a local funeral home. While keeping to himself mostly at AA, he does manage to strike a friendship with a sponsor, Tom (Luke Wilson). While at work, he winds up falling for Laurel Pearson (Tea Leoni), a client he meets at the funeral home. Meanwhile, back home in Buffalo, the rivalry between Frank’s Polish mob family and the Irish mob led by Edward O’Leary (Dennis Farina) continues to heat up.

      I absolutely love this comedy. The dialogue and the comic timing and of each of the performers are spot on. Ben Kingsley has always been one of the most versatile actors of the past 20-30 years and here he once again proves he can take on most any role. The scene where he finally speaks at an AA meeting and admits he's not only an alcoholic, but a hitman too, and then somehow gets his group to nod their heads back in understanding will have you laughing non-stop. Tea Leoni gives a great performance as Kingsley's love interest and the chemistry between the two produces a relationship the viewer can care about. Luke Wilson, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman also turn in strong comic supporting roles here. Although a movie about mob families and mobsters, this isn't just another routine mob shoot-em-up type film. The film's focus is on Frank and his problems and it rightfully sticks to that focus. Obviously, there are certain showdowns between the Polish and Irish mobs, but they arrive on screen at just the right moments and they never overstay their welcome. If you're in the mood for a dark comedy with great characters and smart, fresh, witty dialogue, this movie is definitely for you.