Other People's Money

The wiles of Wall Street may have been the stuff of '80s entertainment, but this adaptation of an off-Broadway play seems distinctly dated. Still, DeVito gives a wonderfully hammy, vindictive performance as wheeler-dealer 'Larry the Liquidator', whose latest target is a family-run, debt-free company. But chief executive Peck, his companion (Laurie) and her lawyer daughter (Miller) are determined to fight tooth and nail against the onslaught. Jewison does an impressive job with the sexually-charged scenes between DeVito and Miller. Other passages fall flat: the relationship between Peck and Laurie lacks impetus, and there's a sense of déjà vu about the constant references to Japanese knowhow. What Peck is doing in such an underwritten role is something of a mystery.