Posted by
John on Sunday, November 16, 2008 12:00:00 AM
As our country and the rest of the world face economic hurtles and a period of financial instability, “The Dukes” (the new film produced and directed by Robert Davi) is an appropriately-timed testament to what it means to feel helpless and what it takes to find success. The film revolves around the present-day members of a 1960’s Doo Wop group and their present-day economic troubles. Each of the members is struggling in his own way with one, for example, is poignantly struck by his own helplessness in trying to help pay for a procedure to fix his son's teeth.
Robert Davi, who plays that member in the group, recently spoke to me about the film, his directorial debut. Davi said directing this movie was “like giving birth to the vision that you have,” instead of just interpreting someone’s else’s vision. Davi said that the movie is relatable to today because many people are feeling extra financial burdens because of the economic turmoil that our country is facing. The initial idea for the film, he said, came from an article he read in the 1970’s about steel workers being laid off.
Watching the film today, most people can relate to the Doo Wop group members, who were extremely successful in the past, but who are now struggling to fulfill their everyday obligations.
The movie itself, which revolves around the four group members and a get-rich-quick scheme that they pursue in order to pay their bills, ultimately has a message larger than that. The characters each deal with the moral quandaries that they face and they each try to determine how they can support themselves without forgetting the dreams of success that they continue to have. In its limited screenings so far, the film has won several coveted international festival awards including the Special Jury Award at the Monte Carlo Film Festival de la Comedie.
Davi, who is known for his roles in such classic films as “Die Hard” and “The Goonies,” has created an enjoyable uplifiting film in “The Dukes.” It contains some powerful ideas about success and what that means and some powerful questions about staying on course in life during a period of economic stability, when people are struggling to pay for such seemingly simple things as a child’s dental repair. Seeing the financial news unfold each day testifies to the relevance of these questions and ideas in contemporary society.
(The film opened in select locations in New York on Friday and will be opening in selected cities in the coming weeks.)