Big Picture Big Sound

The Dukes of Davi

Ooh wah, ooh wah, ooh wah, ooh wah, ooh wah, ooh wah, why do fools fall in love? Those of you old enough to remember Doo Wop music or have parents that listened to it on the radio while you were growing up, might recognize the previous sentence as the opening to a hit song by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. You may also know it from the thirty-minute infomercial ads for those golden oldies. Even if you don't know the difference between Doo Wop and Hip Hop, it is worth your time to catch Robert Davi's directorial debut of "The Dukes."

Davi has made a nice living as a character actor and now he has finally undertaken his own project that he has had stored away for years, waiting for the chance to spring it. What he has delivered is a feel-good look at a group of guys who were a pretty big draw on the Doo Wop circuit back in the 50s. Now they are in their 50s and they haven't gotten caught up in the nostalgia craze that has reignited so many of their contemporaries. Instead, Danny (Robert Davi) and George (Chazz Palminteri) are working in a restaurant. Their buddies from the old days, including their manager Lou ( Peter Bogdanovich), are still hanging around and not doing much of anything.

Two storylines run throughout "The Dukes." One concerns Danny and George wanting to open up their own restaurant. The other concerns their thinking about getting their non-existent singing careers back in gear. The constant is that they can't afford to invest anything in anything. Another member of the group, Armond (Frank D'Amico) has an idea but it's illegal. At first Danny and George are hesitant but desperation wins out and they consult a crackerjack "retired" safecracker, Toulio (Bruce Weitz), who gives the boys the needed expertise to pull off the heist.

"The Dukes" manages to pull off a very difficult feat. It is extremely sweet but leaves no phony Hollywood aftertaste. All of the characters are loveable and either the camaraderie between the actors off-screen is genuine or they all do a great acting job. Either case is fine for the viewer. It reminded me a bit of "Going In Style", the 1979 film starring George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg, concerning a group of senior citizens who decide to pull off a bank heist. That film had a touch of sadness and tragedy to it. "The Dukes" is more along the lines of pure joy. The biggest shock of the evening came when a character by the name of Zorro appeared. It turned out to be Joseph Campanella, a great old actor who I haven't seen in years. His appearance adds even more to the warmth of "The Dukes". If you just want to have a good time at the theater, it's tough to imagine seeing anything else out now that will hit the mark as well as this one. Enjoy.