Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Ziggy Luis Don Ameche plays a wonderful portrayal of an Italian Shoe repair man thrown into a world of mobsters. Somehow this has very little effect on his spirit or mood, and at the same time driving his caretaker(Joe Mantegna)absolutely insane. By the end of it's whirlwind tour you realize that the old man is very wise in taking it all in stride.It's especially good if you are a fan of Mafia movies like The Godfather and such because it shows a lot of really typical mob types to keep you interested.This movie is a very laid back comedy that would entertain people from many different walks of life. I just told someone the other day that it's the best movie I know of that no one has heard of. If you get a chance see it!

Pamsanalyst This is a quiet, enjoyable film with Mantegna playing Mantegna, the nervy, edgy man who thinks he is smarter than everyone else but needs to go back to school for a few more lessons. He is saved by Ameche, a little man who plays a fool to get by in a dangerous world, never letting anyone know if it is an act or real. He lets the cat out of the bag in the bath house scene, when he opens his mouth and out comes this magnificent version of "Return to me" but in Italian.The film has one problem once the pair arrive in Tahoe, Mantegna passing the gentle shoe shine man off as a Capo. It's quite funny to watch everyone bow and scrape in those scenes from the arrival at the airport until they settle into their suite, but after that Mamet has a problem. Where do he go from here? The ending is predictable, but any other would have chased patrons out of the theater in anger.

pfanz In "Things Change" David Mamet applies his direct, unique directorial style to the classic "Being There." Each is similar thematically, and each leave the viewer with a sense of wonder and affection (for either the film or the characters), however Mamet is not quite as effective as Hal Ashby in that respect. Mamet uses his friends in many of the roles as in many of his movies, and they all fit perfectly. The cast is as strong as the writing and direction, which you know Mamet has filled with surprises. This is a movie that is entertaining and rewarding, a combination seen all too infrequently in modern films.

kaliama "Things Change" is the weakest of acclaimed playwright/screenwriter David Mamet's film directing efforts. It tells the story of an immigrant shoe-polisher (Don Amiche) who agrees to be framed for murder by the Chicago Mafia in exchange for fulfillment of his dreams once he's freed from prison. But before his arraignment he gets a three-day madcap weekend adventure at a mob-controlled Lake Tahoe casino, courtesy of an on-the-outs flunky played by Joe Mantegna. The two have a difficult relationship but form a friendship which is finally tested by film's end. It's nice to see Mantegna and other Mamet regulars (including Ricky Jay and William H. Macy) in a movie that's essentially a comedy, but they and their dialogue seem really awkward in such a silly film. Amiche fares better, and at times is the only saving grace for the film, which lacks the paranoia and psychological wrestling found in most of Mamet's films, yet is still too hard-edged and leisurely paced to get many laughs as a comedy. The late Shel Silverstein was a collaborator with Mamet on the script, which contains clever ideas but is weakly executed. The music by Alaric Jans is unremarkable; not nearly as good as the jazz-noir he contributed to House of Games or his orchestral themes for the Winslow Boy. In short, the film is an interesting comparison piece for other Mamet films, but falls well short of the high standard the others are able to maintain.