The Plot Against Harry is about a smalltime Jewish mobster who is released from prison and realizes his numbers racket has mostly fallen apart in his absence. Most of his crew has abandoned him to work for other local thugs, except for his loyal but often inept driver. At first he tries to regain control and call in a few favors, but it becomes more and more clear his time on the streets is up. Harry starts casting about for something else and maybe going legit, and his ex-brother-in-law convinces him to buy a Jewish event hall and catering business. It's through seeing the various Jewish ceremonies - weddings, bar mitzvahs, even a circumcision, that Harry starts to feel more connected with the Jewish community.
Meanwhile, he tries to reconnect on some level with his ex-wife, as well as the children he never really knew, none of whom want anything to do with him. There's a sense they're all politely trying to avoid each other but can't stop bumping into one another, once even literally, as he runs into their car. He somewhat reminds me of Gene Hackman's character in The Royal Tenenbaums, and I wouldn't be surprised if that film took inspiration from this one.
Harry is then informed he has an "enlarged heart" and isn't sure just how much longer he has to live, accelerating his desire for redemption. But getting on the straight and narrow has a lot of twists and turns.
To describe this film to a modern viewer, it has a wryness not unlike some Coen Bros films like Fargo or Burn After Reading, in that it takes a close look at the mundane and everyday, and finds humor and a story worth telling. There's occasionally also some Wes Anderson elements of charming and surreal set pieces and characters. Yet it must be said, this film is far more understated than any Coen Bros or Wes Anderson film. Additionally, as it's an indie film with some rough edges, it's not always obvious what we're supposed to take from each scene, but that's also part of its charm. All of this added up to a film that struggled to find an audience in 1969, but did lead to some indie success when it was released two decades later.
Comparisons aside, The Plot Against Harry is a good film but not a great one. It gets a bit too much praise because critics and film buffs just love when a film like this surfaces and offers something fresh, which it legitimately was in 1989. With the passage of time it takes on some period charm as well with a sweet and sentimental look at Jewish life in the late '60s.
It's hard to point to any one particular thing The Plot Against Harry really excels at but likewise it never drags and the sum of the parts kept me watching and rooting for Harry till the end.
Meanwhile, he tries to reconnect on some level with his ex-wife, as well as the children he never really knew, none of whom want anything to do with him. There's a sense they're all politely trying to avoid each other but can't stop bumping into one another, once even literally, as he runs into their car. He somewhat reminds me of Gene Hackman's character in The Royal Tenenbaums, and I wouldn't be surprised if that film took inspiration from this one.
Harry is then informed he has an "enlarged heart" and isn't sure just how much longer he has to live, accelerating his desire for redemption. But getting on the straight and narrow has a lot of twists and turns.
To describe this film to a modern viewer, it has a wryness not unlike some Coen Bros films like Fargo or Burn After Reading, in that it takes a close look at the mundane and everyday, and finds humor and a story worth telling. There's occasionally also some Wes Anderson elements of charming and surreal set pieces and characters. Yet it must be said, this film is far more understated than any Coen Bros or Wes Anderson film. Additionally, as it's an indie film with some rough edges, it's not always obvious what we're supposed to take from each scene, but that's also part of its charm. All of this added up to a film that struggled to find an audience in 1969, but did lead to some indie success when it was released two decades later.
Comparisons aside, The Plot Against Harry is a good film but not a great one. It gets a bit too much praise because critics and film buffs just love when a film like this surfaces and offers something fresh, which it legitimately was in 1989. With the passage of time it takes on some period charm as well with a sweet and sentimental look at Jewish life in the late '60s.
It's hard to point to any one particular thing The Plot Against Harry really excels at but likewise it never drags and the sum of the parts kept me watching and rooting for Harry till the end.