Things Change

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Things Change ★★★ 1988 (PG)

An old Italian shoeshine guy agrees, for a fee, to be a fall guy for the Mafia. A lower-echelon mob hood, assigned to watch over him, decides to give the old guy a weekend of fun in Vegas before going to jail. Director Mamet co-wrote the screenplay with Silverstein, bestknown for his children's books (“Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “The Giving Tree”). Combines charm and menace with terrific performances, especially from Ameche and Mantegna. 114m/C VHS, DVD . Joe Mantegna, Don Ameche, Robert Prosky, J.J. Johnston, Ricky Jay, Mike Nussbaum, Jack Wallace, Dan Conway, J.T. Walsh, William H. Macy; D: David Mamet; W: David Mamet, Shel Silverstein; M: Alaric Jans. Venice Film Fest. ‘80: Actor (Ameche); Venice Film Fest. ‘88: Actor (Mantegna).