Unlike most of my reviews of movies, today’s post features a light but delightful dark comedy from Woody Allen. As with many of his movies, the offbeat plot features a writer, established thespians, but is made on a modest budget. The plot is set in 1928 New York. The limited indoor sets include New York’s Belasco theater, a gangster’s home, and a modest NY apartment where the protagonist resides. There are a few outdoor scenes filmed in Manhattan and New York.

David Shayne (John Cusack) is a struggling playwright trying to have his latest work brought to life in theater. He gets his break when theater producer Julian Marx (Jack Warden) informs him that a financier is willing to fund his play.

However, David is soon disappointed when he learns that his financier is mob boss Nick Valenti (Joe Viterelli). Valenti is willing to sponsor the play as long as his girlfriend, Olive (Jennifer Tilly), has a prominent role in it. Upon meeting her, David is shocked that Olive, besides having an annoying demeanor, has neither any prior experience in acting nor any talent to be part of the play. However, upon insistence from Marx, and with no other prospects to choose from, David caves in and agrees to include Olive in his play. David also becomes the director of his play.

He is somewhat relieved when he learns that Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest) and Warner Purcell (Jim Broadbent) have agreed to be part of the cast. Helen, a former star in theater, is now trying to make her comeback. English actor Purcell is also another faded actor and has put on a tremendous amount of weight since his heyday, thanks to his food addiction.

David, who has worked with Helen in the past, gets reacquainted with her over drinks at a tavern. Over the next few sessions, David falls in love with her, despite being in a committed relationship. Helen rejects his advances. David confides his feelings for Helen to his friend, Sheldon Flender (Rob Reiner).

Meanwhile, Nick appoints Cheech, his reliable hitman, to be Olive’s bodyguard and to escort her to the practice sessions with the rest of the cast. When the initial sessions commence, total pandemonium ensues. One of the cast members has her little pet dog accompany her for these sessions, causing aggravation to Helen. Olive has problems memorizing her lines and voices her unwelcome opinions, further disrupting the sessions for the rest of the cast and David.

Anyone who protests against Olive’s behavior faces intimidation and threats from Cheech. On one occasion, when Olive wants a change in her lines, David strongly protests and Cheech takes her side, demanding the change to be made to the play. David is shocked when the rest of the cast are impressed with Cheech’s suggestions.

David is furious and threatens to quit from the project, but while contemplating it with the rest over drinks at a bar, he realizes that the change would benefit his play. Seeing Cheech at the bar on a date, he approaches the hitman and apologizes to him.

Cheech surprises David by asking him to join himself and his date for a drink. Soon he proposes a series of changes that would change the entire plot of the play but make it far better. Cheech seems a lot more passionate about the play than about his angry companion. David makes the proposed changes and wins the adulation from the cast, who now see him as a gifted playwright.

David starts meeting Cheech clandestinely for more ideas on the play. He soon realizes that while Cheech is a ruthless, unrepentant killer, he also has an ingenious creative imagination. Unlike David’s intellectually warped ideas, Cheech has an intuitive feel for the pulse of the audience and is more familiar with how real-world people converse.

David incorporates all of Cheech’s ideas into the play. Upon the play’s release, David becomes an instant sensation. The audience, media, and cast see him as a genius. Helen and he begin an illicit affair. Meanwhile, Cheech becomes more passionate about the play, which he considers his own brainchild. While seeking neither fame nor fortune for himself, he wants the play presented with perfection to the audience. Over time, Cheech grows increasingly frustrated with Olive and wants her removed from the cast. David finds himself defending Olive, as the play cannot be continued without her.

The newfound fame does not bring David happiness. Realizing that he is not the intellectually gifted playwright he always thought he was, he grows increasingly miserable. It finally comes to his realization that his relationship with Helen is based on a lie, that he is a gifted artist. Helen does not like the real David, but the fake persona that he now projects.

What happens next forms the rest of the plot. While the entire cast with Cusack delivers great performances, Chazz Palminteri as Cheech steals the entire show. Cheech, with his contrasting facets of a ruthless killer and creative genius, is a fascinating character. Chazz’s portrayal of Cheech gives this character credibility and realism. ‘Bullets over Broadway’ is a great one-time watch.