‘Come on, children, I’ll read you a story about the Albanian labor party.’

First, let me say that I love Rita Karin in this—her defiantly leftist Jewish grandma character (that’s her dialogue above) is beautifully handled; that woman means business but would be an absolute blast to hang out with.

Ok, I didn’t want to forget that, onwards.

‘The Big Fix’ stems from a subgenre of ‘70s detective stories dealing with the inevitable fallout of the previous decade’s misplaced optimism. Many were novels, including McDonald’s ‘Fletch’ books (not the BS Chevy Chase films based on them), and also included films like Altman’s take on ‘The Long Goodbye’ and Penn’s brilliant ‘Night Moves.’ These stories all follow an investigation (of differing kinds) as they lead the protagonist through the wreckage left in the wake of ‘60s counterculture.

Here, Richard Dreyfuss’ former radical (though, by his own admission, more likely ‘liberal’ than actually radical), divorced PI Moses Wine is drawn into a political campaign, despite his lingering pessimism regarding the election progress, when he is offered just enough money to pay off his gambling debts and part of his alimony but also offered the opportunity to reconnect with an old college flame. The film gently pokes fingers at radicalism, feminism & sexism, and self-improvement seminars, while all the while maintaining the ‘integrity’ (for lack of a better word) of the central mystery, which is appropriately and engagingly knotty. In other words, it does not sacrifice its plot to comedy (or vice versa).

Dreyfuss, seen here in his first post-Oscar (for ‘The Goodbye Girl’) role (though it was filmed before the awarding), is great. He’s got a very deft touch, easily flipping from light to heavy, and, in addition to everything else going on, is genuinely believable as the father of the two kids. I like watching Dreyfuss, though I don’t do it often because I have a bit of a knee-jerk distaste for him (due to hating several of his films that left an outsized impression on me), but I almost always like both him and his performances when I do see them. The rest of the cast is really good as well, but particularly noteworthy are John Lithgow, as the shouty campaign director, and a late appearance from F Murray Abraham; it’s only one sequence (though there is footage of him earlier), but he’s just great in a semi unhinged, manic way that you do not expect.

And, as well as all that, it actually has a small ‘Star Wars’ bit (this came out one year after the Lucas film), possibly the first?

Really enjoyed that one, I have to say.

‘Come on, children, I’ll read you a story about the Albanian labor party.’

First, let me say that I love Rita Karin in this—her defiantly leftist Jewish grandma character (that’s her dialogue above) is beautifully handled; that woman means business but would be an absolute blast to hang out with.

Ok, I didn’t want to forget that, onwards.

‘The Big Fix’ stems from a subgenre of ‘70s detective stories dealing with the inevitable fallout of the previous decade’s misplaced optimism. Many were novels, including McDonald’s ‘Fletch’ books (not the BS Chevy Chase films based on them), and also included films like Altman’s take on ‘The Long Goodbye’ and Penn’s brilliant ‘Night Moves.’ These stories all follow an investigation (of differing kinds) as they lead the protagonist through the wreckage left in the wake of ‘60s counterculture.

Here, Richard Dreyfuss’ former radical (though, by his own admission, more likely ‘liberal’ than actually radical), divorced PI Moses Wine is drawn into a political campaign, despite his lingering pessimism regarding the election progress, when he is offered just enough money to pay off his gambling debts and part of his alimony but also offered the opportunity to reconnect with an old college flame. The film gently pokes fingers at radicalism, feminism & sexism, and self-improvement seminars, while all the while maintaining the ‘integrity’ (for lack of a better word) of the central mystery, which is appropriately and engagingly knotty. In other words, it does not sacrifice its plot to comedy (or vice versa).

Dreyfuss, seen here in his first post-Oscar (for ‘The Goodbye Girl’) role (though it was filmed before the awarding), is great. He’s got a very deft touch, easily flipping from light to heavy, and, in addition to everything else going on, is genuinely believable as the father of the two kids. I like watching Dreyfuss, though I don’t do it often because I have a bit of a knee-jerk distaste for him (due to hating several of his films that left an outsized impression on me), but I almost always like both him and his performances when I do see them. The rest of the cast is really good as well, but particularly noteworthy are John Lithgow, as the shouty campaign director, and a late appearance from F Murray Abraham; it’s only one sequence (though there is footage of him earlier), but he’s just great in a semi unhinged, manic way that you do not expect.

And, as well as all that, it actually has a small ‘Star Wars’ bit (this came out one year after the Lucas film), possibly the first?

Really enjoyed that one, I have to say.

Richard Dreyfuss might be one of my favourite actors.

Richard Dreyfuss might be one of my favourite actors.