"Things Changes" is a light-hearted look at what happens to an old Italian shoe shiner (Ameche) who's a naive patsy for the mob when a mafia flunky (Mantegna) takes them two of them to Tahoe for a last blast. This Mamet film has a lot of pluses not the least of which is Mantegna and Ameche together in one of Ameche's last films. The story is a cute comedy with a kind of sentimental "feel" to it. The kind of movie that's hard not to like.

Gino (Don Ameche) is a simple shoe shiner with a small store. A man has been murdered and there are two witnesses. The killer turns out to be a mobster and Gino's doppelganger. Mob boss Mr. Green gives Gino an offer he can't refuse. Gino wants a boat. In exchange, he is to take the fall and go to prison for three years. Low ranking mobster Jerry (Joe Mantegna) is ordered to guard and prepare him. Jerry decides to show him a good time but it gets out of hand.

The original deal makes little sense. I don't see 3 years for a murder and the boat thing seems non-specific. It's all a little unreal. I'm guessing that the movie is meant to be a little surreal and a little quirky. Gino is meant to be simple but it's hard for Ameche to play dumb. In the end, I really like this pairing. Their low key chemistry is really nice. The details of everything needs some more work but the most important aspect is the two leads. I love these two actors and that goes a long way.

If you've ever seen a David Mamet play or film, you know that he writes heavy, disturbing, and often unwatchable stories. He also almost always uses William H. Macy, so even though this movie goes way back to 1988, you will see that familiar face (the blond chauffeur). Speaking for familiar faces, you'll also get to see Felicity Huffman's film debut (for a few minutes at the Wheel of Fortune). But my point is this is a heavy movie. You can sense the tone from the first ten minutes, and if you feel uncomfortable or don't like it, turn it off. I've learned my lesson over the years: Mamet stories never get any better.

The story of this relatively light Mamet drama concerns the power of the mafia. The mafia is looking for someone to take the rap for a murder, someone who looks exactly like the man who really did it. They approach Italian cobbler Don Ameche with a proposition: take the rap, go to jail for three years, and come out of it with a large sum of money. If he refuses, they'll kill him. So, he agrees, and he gets placed in custody of Joe Mantegna for the weekend before the trial. Joe takes pity on the old timer and decides to show him a good time at a resort at Lake Tahoe.

I'd really only recommend this for die-hard fans of either Don Ameche or David Mamet. I watched it because of Don's time as Star of the Week, otherwise I wouldn't have rented it. Be prepared for some heavy drama, and as always, have a comedy lined up for tomorrow night.