Between action-thriller and comedy, Un giorno da leone by John Swab released on Sky and Now, despite being dispersed among too many streams, boasts a good rhythm, good ideas and a lot of irony, also thanks to a cast in which JK Simmons, Scott Caan stand out and Frank Grillo. But the surprise is another.
First of all, let’s clear up any misunderstandings: despite the title being very similar to a laugh-out-loud successful saga, A day as a lion (perfect translation of the original title) A day as a Lion) is something profoundly different. Not that John Swab’s film lacks irony, on the contrary, but here the predominant part is more action-thriller than comedy.
We could define A day as a lionavailable on Sky come on Now, like a bizarre and slightly rambling detective comedy, which alternates drama and laughter in an extravagant way, but this very stylistic irregularity makes it enjoyable. Without neglecting that in addition to Scott Caan (James’ son), protagonist and screenwriter of the film, the cast boasts names like J.K. SimmonsFrank Grillo and Virginia Madsen, although the one who steals the scene, as we will see in this review, is another actress.
A caring father but too clumsy and awkward to be a criminal
In One Day as a Lion the protagonist is Jackie Powers, desperate because his teenage son has gotten into trouble: he is accused of a kidnapping that he didn’t actually commit but he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and now to make him defend himself and leave juvenile prison, Jackie needs to hire a lawyer. To find the money he accepts the assignment from his old friend Dom (George Carroll) to collect the debts of Walter Boggs (JK Simmons), a cowboy who must return a lot of money to the boss Pauly Russo (Frank Grillo) .
But Jackie is clumsy and clumsy, the attempt ends badly, a man is killed and he runs away taking with him a witness, the waitress of the place where the crime took place, Lola Brisky (Marianne Rendón), a woman who dreams of being an actress convinced of having great talent. From there will begin a race against time and a series of amazing events between crazy ex-wives, rich mothers dying and unlikely killers.
The prestigious references and characters to love in One Day as a Lion
The references of A day as a lion they are clear and defined, even if perhaps they are a little too many. From Tarantino’s atmospheres to ironic twists of chance of the Coen brothers, stuffed with Guy Ritchie-style rhythms and dialogues. With these premises, John Swab’s film cannot help but be enjoyable and fun, even if not everything works properly: it is not so much the mix of genres between crime, drama and comedy with a sprinkling of romance that raises doubts, but the fact that it disperses the many ideas in too many rivulets and tangled tortuosity. In essence it is a film that lacks homogeneity and does not seem to be completely decided on the path to take. And it is a shame that this writing deficit affects the final result, because in reality the characters are all successful, eccentric and bizarreeven the supporting ones: in short, you end up having a natural empathy towards them, also because they are enhanced by good and never banal dialogues.
A brilliant and hilarious cast but the surprise is Marianne Rendòn
If the characters are successful, it’s because the cast gives a big hand to the film. JK Simmons is a guarantee and a laugh with his cowboy hat and long beard, Scott Caan is tastefully grotesque in her clumsy and desperate attempts to prevent her son from following in her criminal footsteps to carry out her plans, while Frank Grillo maintains a constant shadow of menace. Also irresistible is Virginia Madsen who plays an eccentric black widow very sick with curlers in her hair to take care of her hairstyle. But who is surprising is Marianne Rendonthe aspiring waitress actress who gradually takes center stage thanks to a remarkable stage presence, even when a streak of sweetness emerges from his grumpiness. In short, a pleasant ensemble of actors, who despite the aforementioned shortcomings of the script, give life to a pleasantly rambling crime thriller filled with a robust dose of healthy humour.
Conclusions
To conclude the review of One Day as a Lion, we reiterate that John Swab’s bizarre film is a fun cross between a lively crime thriller and a comedy full of humour, which suffers from excessive dispersion in the story, but also boasts a good pace and a cast to be enjoyed, with the guarantee of established names but also of a nice surprise.
Why we like it
- The mix of genres works and the moments of humor are pleasant and well-placed.
- The cast is excellent, but among so many big names, Marianne Rendón’s performance is surprising.
- The characters are all hilarious and arouse empathy.
What’s wrong
- At times the narrative gets uselessly dispersed in too many streams.
- Between Tarantino, Guy Ritchie and the Coens, there is a risk that the references are a bit too many.
