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      The Plot Against Harry

      Released Jan 12, 1990 1h 30m Comedy Drama List
      100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 91% Audience Score 100+ Ratings Dour Jewish mobster Harry Plotnick is finally released from prison after two decades. Returning to a very different world, Harry tries to ease back into his criminal ways on his old turf, but it soon becomes clear that he's thoroughly out-dated. When he encounters his ex-wife and his now-adult daughters, whom he doesn't even know, he decides to clean up his act. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Harry is basically a sad, sweet character, a classic fall guy, but Roemer doesn’t try to sentimentalize him or steer away from his more callous traits. Rated: 3/4 May 12, 2022 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker Bares unhealed and unspoken wounds of New York Jewish life. Oct 6, 2014 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The Plot Against Harry is one of those comedies with a sprung rhythm, so that the jokes pay off by working against themselves. Rated: 3.5/4 May 14, 2005 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills ...the film’s sensibility was simply ahead of its time, anticipating the bubbling-under ensemble humor of 1970s Robert Altman joints and deadpan 1980s efforts by Jarmusch & co... Nov 30, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Wickedly funny and observant slice of life NYC gangster pic, that's decidedly Jewish, quirky and anarchistic. Rated: A Apr 2, 2012 Full Review Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette Rated: 4/5 Nov 18, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member The Plot against Harry is hilarious and often poignant. It was shot in 1969 but was held up because of a lack of completion funding. B&w pic is a sociological fossil of manners, mores and life in the 1960s. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member A slice of life film along the lines of movies like "Shadows", "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie", and "Killer of Sheep". The story is fairly loosely structured, though with a more clear beginning, middle, and end then the aforementioned movies. It really hinges on the performance of Martin Priest as Harry, a Sad Sack of a second-tier Jewish mobster, who slowly and mostly accidentally ingratiates himself back into the life of his estranged family. It's really Priest's performance that makes this so enjoyable. His hang-dog "Why me?" expression makes you root for him even though he is a bit of a heel. It's also another great example of the great independent filmmaking of the '60's and '70's that Harry's moment of clarity is a subtle one; in a modern movie, it would probably be accompanied by a swelling score and over-the-top waterworks to make it beyond obvious that we're seeing Harry's redemption, but thankfully here the filmmakers trust the audience to make that discovery on their own. A quick, satisfying watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Dour Jewish mobster Harry Plotnick is finally released from prison after two decades. Returning to a very different world, Harry tries to ease back into his criminal ways on his old turf, but it soon becomes clear that he's thoroughly out-dated. When he encounters his ex-wife and his now-adult daughters, whom he doesn't even know, he decides to clean up his act.
      Director
      Michael Roemer
      Screenwriter
      Michael Roemer
      Distributor
      New Yorker Films
      Production Co
      King Screen Productions
      Genre
      Comedy, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jan 12, 1990, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      Apr 26, 2005
      Runtime
      1h 30m