Things Change

every is saying this is a comedy? but fuck me this old man was put through the ringer by the Mob for no reason other than he looked like a man guilty of murder?

every is saying this is a comedy? but fuck me this old man was put through the ringer by the Mob for no reason other than he looked like a man guilty of murder?

My third and final film in the David Mamet–Joe Mantegna collaboration trifecta, and what a surprisingly sweet note to end on.

THINGS CHANGE is such a curious little film—low-key, gentle, and totally disarming. Joe Mantegna brings his usual sharp charisma, but it’s tempered here with an unusual softness. His chemistry with Don Ameche is unexpectedly lovely, and Ameche’s performance is all warmth and quiet wisdom, making the odd-couple dynamic feel truly earned rather than forced.

Mamet’s direction, often known for its precision and verbal edge, takes on a more relaxed, almost affectionate rhythm here. It still has that clipped dialogue and tension bubbling beneath the surface, but the stakes are emotional rather than explosive. It’s a film about dignity, kindness, and the small, strange loyalties that form between people who have no real reason to trust each other—but do anyway.

A modest, well-played gem. I think I smiled through most of it and felt my heart sink in the last 10 minutes when the title “Things Change” is mentioned— revealing the film’s gut-wretching deception; only to then watch it quickly click back together.

My third and final film in the David Mamet–Joe Mantegna collaboration trifecta, and what a surprisingly sweet note to end on.

THINGS CHANGE is such a curious little film—low-key, gentle, and totally disarming. Joe Mantegna brings his usual sharp charisma, but it’s tempered here with an unusual softness. His chemistry with Don Ameche is unexpectedly lovely, and Ameche’s performance is all warmth and quiet wisdom, making the odd-couple dynamic feel truly earned rather than forced.

Mamet’s direction, often known for its precision and verbal edge, takes on a more relaxed, almost affectionate rhythm here. It still has that clipped dialogue and tension bubbling beneath the surface, but the stakes are emotional rather than explosive. It’s a film about dignity, kindness, and the small, strange loyalties that form between people who have no real reason to trust each other—but do anyway.

A modest, well-played gem. I think I smiled through most of it and felt my heart sink in the last 10 minutes when the title “Things Change” is mentioned— revealing the film’s gut-wretching deception; only to then watch it quickly click back together.