The Dukes (2007)

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

A cast of characters and a story that i just fell in love with! I was truly captivated by this story and enchanted that it managed to make me cry, laugh, and clench my teeth inside of 100 minutes. This script was so spontaneous and captivating i didn't blink because i didn't want to miss a milisecond. Davi and Palmiteri give beautiful performances that make your heart melt for these two and they are supported by an outstanding cast that each have their own charm that makes your laugh or cry or BOTH! I walked away absolutely charmed by these actors - they did their job on the silver screen and made me fall in love with all of them - be it their talent AND the screenplay. This film was so enjoyable and i find it such a rarity in film-making these days to walk away from a movie feeling so much joy from what i just experienced. Such a great piece, i put it on my top ten indie masterpieces.

Having followed Robert Davi's career for some time, I was not at all surprised by his usual excellent performance in his new film, "The Dukes". The real surprise to me was his deft handling of the directorial task. As a first time director, one might expect to find fault with his efforts. On the contrary. The movie is a seamless, professional product that is extremely entertaining.Another unexpected surprise was the beautiful singing voice of Mr. Davi. Although I was familiar with his opera background and had heard snipits of his singing before ("Goonies", "Amazon", "Wiseguy") I had no idea that his versatility extended to the "doo wop" genre. One can only hope that we will hear more of this side of the multi-talented Davi again in the future. I hate to use words like "old fashioned entertainment" or "refreshing" but "The Dukes" is both. Without being maudlin or sentimental. It will have you laughing one minute and then tug at your heart strings the next. As Davi also wrote the script, he should also be given credit for the overall tone of the film. How unusual these days to see a film that doesn't have the obligatory "F Bomb" in every other sentence. And - no exploding cars! Or nudity! It really is a film that the whole family can watch and enjoy.I congratulate Mr. Davi on his wonderful film and hope that it will be released soon so that the rest of the Country can enjoy it (and so I can see it again!)

Saw this film at the DGA, great performances, heart warming, and very funny. Some classic moments, great chemistry between Chazz Palminteri, Robert Davi and Peter Bogdanovich. Miriam Margolyes is great as Aunt Vi, a role she normally would not be thought of. Elya Baskin is hysterical. Frank D'amico, who i have not seen before, is terrific. Eloise DeJoria combines sensitivity with a subtle comedic quality. Melora Hardin, from The Office,hits just the right tone as Danny's(Robert Davi)ex-wife.Bruce Weitz,Elaine Hendriks and Joyce Westergaard are all terrific. This is Robert Davi's first time directing and he does a fantastic job. The film has many twists and I could not predict where things were going ,which I normally do very easily.I laughed as hard in a few places as I ever had. The blending of pathos, humor and believabilty are rare these days..A MUST SEE

I saw the The Dukes movie last night at the Wildwood Film Festival and liked it very much. I am surprised to see it listed as a drama because I didn't see it in that light. I thought it was a good light-hearted comedy that I would recommend as a good family movie. It has a nice story about being down on your luck while trying to hold on to your dreams. I've not seen a movie with Chaz Palmenteri in a comedic performance and found him to be very funny. The movie has some really funny scenes between Robert Davi and Chazz Palminteri playing well off of each other. The music was really good too. I thought there was a nice selection of Doo Wop songs and I especially liked the music by the group, The Emeralds. It was nice to see a local acapella group featured in a really good movie. If the movie comes your way, go see it - you won't be disappointed.