Boomers, generational cohort that dominates Hollywood just like the rest of the world, tends to view 1960s as some sort of Golden Age. That nostalgic approach, which seems natural with passage of time that makes the past better than it actually was, was always there. One such example can be found in Tin Men, 1987 comedy written and directed by Barry Levinson, a film that paints sympathetic picture of characters and actions that objectively don’t deserve much sympathy.
The plot is set in Levinson’s native city of Baltimore in 1963. Protagonists are “B.B.” Babowsky (played by Richard Dreyfuss) and Ernest Tilley (played by Danny DeVito), two “tin men” – traveling salesmen who sell aluminum sidings to homeowners. They work for the rival companies but the conflict that develops between them is more personal in nature. One day Tilley, while driving, accidentally hits Babowsky’s brand new Cadillac, which makes Babowsky so mad that he decides to get even by wrecking Tilley’s car. After tit for tat vandalism Babowsky further escalates affair by deciding to seduce Tilley’s wife Nora (played by Barbara Hershey). Instead of feeling humiliated, Tilley is happy because he now has an excuse to throw Nora out of their home and force her to live with Babowsky who, as bachelor, has trouble adapting to permanent presence of a woman in his home. While this conflict plays, both men and their co-workers are under shadow of state authorities that want to crack down on “tin men’s” unethical or illegal practices while pitching their product to prospective buyers.
At first glance, Tin Men looks like a good film. Levinson, who had dealt with mid 20th Century Baltimore in few more films, brings a lot of interesting period details, with costumes and props that bring this film almost Mad Men levels of 1960s reconstruction. Music is also good, with British band Fine Young Cannibals (whose members also appear as night club act in the film) providing songs that perfectly blend with authentic pop standards of the era. Acting is also very good, with both Dreyfus and DeVito delivering strong performances, the latter being slightly more successful in evoking sympathy for unethical character. Supporting cast is also good, featuring legendary character actors like J. T. Walsh and John Mahoney.
However, all that doesn’t solve this film’s main problem. Tin Men was advertised and probably originally envisioned as comedy, but it is actually much closer to drama. There are some slightly amusing scenes and lines of dialogues, but there is little material which would be viewed as actually funny. The film is actually closer to drama, with many segments dealing with serious issues like illness, old age and dysfunctional marriages or relationships. Subplot about government’s investigation into “tin men” is almost an afterthought and it isn’t explored nor resolved properly. When two men finally get together near the end and starts talking about turning new page in their lives, this is supposed to provide some closure and happy end, but poor pacing will make the ending look too late and unsatisfactory. Although watchable, Tin Men can be recommended only to less demanding fans of Dreyfuss and DeVito.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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