Once Upon A Crime

This past week, I binge watched a great Canadian sitcom, Schitt's Creek starring SCTV alums Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy. Levy not only stars, but also created the series with his son Dan. This isn't the first time Levy has worked behind the scenes. He even directed the great, little seen 1992 picture Once Upon A Crime.

There's been a murder in Monte Carlo of a wealthy Madame, and her dachshund is the only witness. Everyone who crosses paths with the dog becomes a prime suspect. This includes a recently jilted American woman in Rome named Phoebe, Sean Young. An out of work American actor named Julian, Richard Lewis. An American couple on vacation, the boorish Neil, Jim Belushi, and his long suffering wife Marilyn, Cybil Shepard. Auggie, John Candy, a high stakes gambler. And Alfonso, George Hamilton, a playboy for rich, elderly women. It's up to the Chief Inspector, Giancarlo Giannini, to figure out who did it, if it doesn't drive him insane first.

This is a very funny flick with a great ensemble. Lewis and Young are particularly good. And Candy is always good for a laugh. Levy does a great job in his directorial debut. And the script, by Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, a writing team I'm not usually that crazy about, is really smart and funny.

The dvd is out of print, but if you want a good laugh, you should seek it out.