The Last Shot

Spun from the true-life tale of two aspiring filmmakers cruelly duped by FBI agents, writer-director Jeff Nathanson's comedy overcooks a mess of bitter barbs directed at Hollywood's culture of self-delusion into pure, unadulterated mush. Hoping to snare mobsters in cahoots with crooked Teamsters union officials, agent Devine (Baldwin) devises an elaborate scam that involves pretending to produce a movie. All he needs is a script, which poor schmo Steven Schats (Broderick) unwittingly hands over, not realizing he is being used. Lugubrious complications ensue, trapping a good cast (including an uncredited Joan Cusack) in a tar pit of goopy sentiment and feeble gags.