When 'King' works, it works well

As odd as it sounds, try to imagine Woody Allen mounting a production of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," and you'll have some idea of what "King of the Corner" is like.

In many ways, this is the film — or at least the kind of film — that Allen should have been doing over the past few years, rather than his angst-filled, ponderous movies that defy description as comedies.

That being said, this low-key comedy-drama is occasionally too talky, and in other places it feels almost like a series of skits or scenes that have been strung together loosely.

Yet when it works, it works well. That's due in no small part to its cast and to the neurotic charms of Peter Riegert, who co-wrote and directed this adaptation of Gerald Shapiro's "Bad Jews and Other Stories."

Riegert also stars as Leo Spivak, a veteran sales executive with a happy marriage to longtime sweetheart Rachel (Isabella Rossellini), and a teenage daughter, Elana (Ashley Johnson), who's better behaved than most.

Leo makes occasional trips to Arizona to visit his father, Sol (Eli Wallach), a once-successful salesman in his own right who's now in a nursing home.

But for some reason Leo isn't satisfied with all that. Perhaps it's because he's seen signs that he's being phased out at work in favor of a younger go-getter, Ed Shiffman (Jake Hoffman). For whatever reason, Leo begins messing up at work, and worse, starts a disastrous flirtation with the woman of his high school dreams (Beverly D'Angelo).

For the most part, the film's humorous bits succeed, such as some of the products Leo and Ed are test-marketing (a phone-answering device that features Gregory Peck's voice, for example).

And there's a bittersweet poignancy to the parts of the film that deal with family (in particular, the relationship between Riegert and Wallach's characters is believable and very watchable).

Besides, it's nice to see people like Riegert, Rossellini and Wallach again — especially in a film that allows them serious face time. The same goes for the supporting cast, which includes Rita Moreno and Eric Bogosian, hilarious in a brief turn as a straight-talking rabbi.

"King of the Corner" is rated R for suggestive talk and sexual humor, scattered use of strong sexual profanity and racial epithets, and brief violence (fisticuffs). Running time: 93 minutes.

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com

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