Deal of the Century

1983 "Chevy Chase and his partners are arms dealers. They sell second-rate weapons to third world nations. But they're not out to stick it to anyone."
4.6| 1h39m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 04 November 1983 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Arms dealers from several companies vie to sell the most expensive and highest tech weapons to a South American dictator. There are complications; understanding the exact nature of how 'gifts' are used to grease the wheels of a sale, a religious conversion from one of the salesman and a romance that begins to grow between two competitors.

Genre

Comedy

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Director

William Friedkin

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

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Deal of the Century Audience Reviews

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film
AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks
KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
lost-in-limbo Eddie Muntz is a pervasive black market arms dealer who after a missed sale, meets a fellow salesman Harold in the same field for the US Luckup Corporation while in South America. After he commits suicide with the stress of waiting by the phone for the government dictator to ring him back to complete the deal. Eddie answers and takes over the deal which involves a new high-tech, non-pilot plane known as the Peacemaker. Soon enough everybody wants to get on this multi-million dollar deal. Eddie's work pal Ray has found god, and he's doing his best trying to keep him on the job and Harold's icy widow Catherine wants her share of the prize.William Friedkin's "Deal Of the Century" is somewhere in between a black comedy and frank pot-shot on the international arms trade. It never distinguishes itself either way, but I think that's the point. Especially how nervously bizarre this turns out to be. I certainly enjoyed this misunderstood satirical item on an interestingly flavorers topic and the sardonically dark humour was neat treat to the senses. Those looking for a laugh-out-loud affair will only get humour that's rather broadly downbeat in tone, despite how over-blown they turn out to be. While, it didn't constantly make me laugh, it got some grimaces out of me. It can feel like a Chevy Chase vehicle most of the time, as the rest of the cast do pale in comparison. That's not their fault, because their characters don't have the material to lift them out of Chase's shadow. Chase is one of my favourite iconic 80's comedians and he immediately fits the role with his causally dry and quick-witted personality. Sigourney Weaver is there to look good in her steely firebrand performance and Gregory Hines doesn't look too interested throughout. There's a short comic performance by Wallace Shawn too.The freshly ammo-packed story by Paul Bickerman is complicatedly knotty and obvious with its attacks. Creeping in were oddball situations and a surrealistic air on the worrying subject at hand. The snappy script works up a creative novelty, smearing it with sneering gags, spicy irony and that of Chase's slyly gruff voice-over narration to string scenes together. Super weapons to ensure peace, nicely put. As for William Friedkin's direction, well at first I didn't even know that this was on his resume. His style is extremely random and kinetic in just what's going to happen, but this unfocused mark goes on to morph its way into the premise. The interestingly high octane climax springs to mind. The production does look cheap, but the sweeping musical score creates the right vibe and there's strikingly framed camera-work. Explosions make there way in and the effects for the plane look rather hokey when its up in the air, but decent enough when on the ground.While, I don't see too much love for this offering. It isn't significantly great and it can be clumsy, but I don't see it as a piece of absurd garbage that it's made out to be. Simply a delightful, if farcical romp that kept me highly entertained.
fedor8 This left-wing comedy is so very boring that it doesn't even have the strength to properly annoy me. Its support for Communist rebels and its disdain for Reagan and everything that he stood for is just so idiotic and trite. Weaver is her usual uncharismatic self, and Chase has never been this unfunny. But there's hardly anybody who'd have been funny with this script. It amazes me that someone actually went through the last draft of the script and actually thought "yeah, this one will be good; let's spend some millions and make a helluva picture!". If you are interested in reading my phony biographies of Weaver and other Hollywood morons, contact me by e-mail.
crashchat This is a must see for any Chevy Chase fan or anyone who has ever worked at a large defense subcontractor! Office Space for the defense industry. I've worked at big companies (both defense and commercial) and this movie portrays them quite accurately. Even though the inherent humor in the plot line is based on the defense industry, it is very accessible to those who know little about it. Chevy is at his finest as the movie plays his character's extreme comical greed (i.e. will sell any weapon to anyone for any reason) against Gregory Hines' burgeoning conscience about their chosen profession. I was initially shocked by the low average rating of this movie. After reading some of the other reviews about this movie I begin to understand. Because Chevy plays an humorously amoral individual rather than his usually lovably goofy, one I think many viewers were shocked. I didn't think that the humor in this film was subtle; but apparently for many, it was. This movie also makes a very strong moral point about the military industrial complex that should be taught (whether with this movie or not) to all people before they are allowed to vote.
jrwilliams51 CHEVY CHASE, SIGOURNEY WEAVER,& GREGORY HINES stir up a real deal when they go after the arms race!Its all about money, and where the truth lies in a all out arms deal that does more damage to us than the enemy! The absolute beautiful Cathrine Devoto played by SIGOURNEY WEAVER is a total dream girl gun carrying, submissive female!This fun filled packed,and very sexy movie out sells them all,and is more deserving than a ten!