Harvey (Johnny Segalla) thinks himself a great bountyhunter ... but
he's really not that good, he only has the knack for being at the right
place at the right time, and apart from that, he enjoys the lifestyle -
including the fact that he has a stretch limo plus driver (Jack Tracksler)
at his disposal - much more than the actual work, and really is more
travelling from one party to the next, picking up hookers along the way
and getting horribly drunk than actually doing something productive. And
the only reason his secretary Chenault (Kate Paulsen) - who's also the
actual brains of the operation as well as Harvey's conscience - hasn't
left him long ago is because she's secretly in love with him. Then
though Harvey receives an appointment from a certain John Smith (Richard
Wayne) to retrieve a painting that belongs to him, a painting that has
hidden inside the account numbers of several of the top assassins of town,
in exchange for three account numbers on that list - which are priceless
to a bountyhunter of course. Now Harvey happily accepts, not putting two
and two together and figuring somebody that has all these account numbers
might be very involved with organized crime - nor that there might
be others who might want the list as well ... like lovely Violet (Kristen
Sargent Gorman), a self-confessed bankrobber who first tries her seductive
charms then lethal weapons on Harvey. Things really get out of hand when
Harvey finds out he has somehow obtained the painting in question last
night out drinking, without even remembering where and why anymore. But
that suddenly makes him the center of attention - and most of those whose
attention he has attracted are heavily armed ... Harvey the
Great is a pretty little thriller comedy that manages to at the same
time follow genre conventions and turn them on their heads, first of all
thanks to the film's highly unusual and very colourful (and well-played)
characters, but also thanks to a direction and pacing that keeps the
movie's action going steadily while weaving many a quirk into the
on-screen goings-on. And a light-footed approach to the darkly comedic
plot of course helps as well. Great genre entertainment, really.
|