1984 - FINDERS KEEPERS, disappointing comedy from Richard Lester

The gem of a decent comedy is kicking around somewhere in this disappointing film from Richard Lester.  Michael O'Keefe is a con man on the run from an Oakland, California sheriff. He's slept with the sheriff's wife and the sheriff is out for blood.  O'Keefe also gets mixed up with a couple of thieves who have stolen five million dollars and are transporting it by train in a coffin.  On board the train is Beverly D'Angelo ( with really big hair) as a would be actress with mental problems, David Wayne is an ancient conductor and Louis Gossett Jr. plays a friend of O'Keefe's who just happens to be another conman.

With all the complex character relationships and comedic situations this film should have been a lot funnier than it was.  The actors all seem to want to go for it, but Lester keeps everything clamped down not allowing the actors or the comedic scenes to develop their full potential.

Finders Keepers is Richard Lester in the later part of his career,  The one time innovator of madcap fims like A Hard Day's Night, Help, The Knack …and How to Get It and the drama Petulia seemed to have lost his touch.  Lester hadn't really made an interesting film since Superman II and a good portion of that film had been shot by Richard Donner until he was fired and replaced by Lester.  It seemed like time had finally made his 1960's anarchic comedy style obsolete. 

It's to bad because some of the comedic situations in the script are actually very clever.  After all how many films have you watched that has a scene with a runaway house.  Jim Carrey shows up in what was a very early role for him and I'll say he's consistent, he plays the same obnoxious character at the beginning of his career that he's played throughout his entire acting career.

The film was written by Charles Dennis, Ronny Graham and Terence Marsh.  The running time is 96 minutes.