University of Virginia Library

'Uncle' Deserves Its 'X'

By PAUL CHAPLIN

The best way to describe "Cry
Uncle" is to say that it's a skin
flick that knows it's funny.
This film is totally outrageous
and vulgar, but since director
John G. Avildsen has his
tongue in cheek, the film
could, uh, maybe have
redeeming social value as a
spoof of skin flicks?

The story David Odell
constructed is very confusing,
just as any great mystery story
should be. Our hero, Jake, is a
private investigator who's hired
to discover a murderer.
Naturally, everybody he runs
into is somewhat weird and
bizarre, providing numerous
stumbling blocks which would
no doubt befuddle James Bond
and all the staff from 77
Sunset Strip.

In the role of Jake, Allen
Garfield is superb. Physically
he looks like a plump Alan
Arkin, and has the same mobile
face and deadpan expression.
Madeline LeRoix as Cora, his
"assistant", is hardly the most
beautiful woman on the screen
today, but she does deliver her
lines with just the right
inflections.

Avildsen also directed last
year's surprise hit "Joe," and
"Cry Uncle" shows the same
plain style that was seen in the
former film, only the color is
very inferior compared to that
in "Joe." I have reason to
suspect that "Cry Uncle"
might have been made some
time ago, and has been sitting
around in a can on some shelf,
waiting for the "right" time to
release it.

One final word for anyone
who is concerned when I say
"spoof" of skin flicks. "Cry
Uncle" is a skin flick, with a
solid "X" rating, just for those
who use the motion picture
rating code as a critical guide
for film content.

(Now at the Cinema)