Welcome to Collinwood

A band of downbeat, downtrodden criminals try to pull off a heist in this remake of an Italian caper from the 50s. Word spreads of a ‘perfect’ job from a lifer in prison, but the crew prove to be less than competent. The lead performer is probably Sam Rockwell, but it’s split pretty evenly between him, William H. Macy, Isiah Washington and Michael Jeter. They gel nicely and manage to play off each other to good comedic effect. This is an odd little film from the Russos - trying to tread the line between slapstick caper comedy and heartfelt emotional drama. Unfortunately it semi-fails at both. It’s neither funny or touching! However, Welcome to Collinwood zips along at a nice pace for the most part, and the confused tone is often papered over by an inventive, interesting plot. The strong cast and plot aren’t enough to cement Welclome to Collinwood into the annals of cinema history, but it is an entertaining way to spend a wet afternoon. http://benoliver999.com/film/2015/11/16/welcometocollinwood/