Cookie

If this light-hearted account of Mafia mayhem fails to deliver, it's through no fault of the performances. Dino Capisco (Falk) is a labour racketeer on parole after 13 years behind bars; Cookie (Lloyd) is his free-spirited daughter. Despite close surveillance from the law, Dino manages to wrest some prestige and power from old 'business' associates, while his biggest headache concerns his troubled relationship with Cookie. There are moments to savour, notably when Wiest (as Cookie's mother/Dino's mistress), Vacarro (Dino's wife) or Falk are on screen. Lloyd affects a convincing Brooklyn accent, and she does her utmost with limited dialogue. Crucially, the central rift which supposedly exists between father and daughter fails to materialise with any sense of conviction; instead, the film falls back on stereotyping. Seidelman brings visual flair, but given the poorly conceived script, Cookie fails to touch female sensibilities in the same way as Desperately Seeking Susan and the under-rated Making Mr Right. CM.