Chain of Fools (2000)

Salma Hayek plays an avid detective assigned to the heist of a batch of precious coins that end up in the hands of a suicidal barber.

Directors:

Pontus Löwenhielm (as Traktor), Patrick von Krusenstjerna (as Traktor)

Writer:

Bix Skahill

Stars:

Steve Zahn, Salma Hayek, Jeff Goldblum

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Zahn	...	Kresk
Salma Hayek	...	Kolko
Jeff Goldblum	...	Avnet
Elijah Wood	...	Mikey
David Cross	...	Andy
Tom Wilkinson	...	Bollingsworth
Orlando Jones	...	Miss Cocoa
Kevin Corrigan	...	Paulie
David Hyde Pierce	...	Mr. Kerner
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Karen
John Cassini	...	Henchman
Michael Rapaport	...	Hitman
Myndy Crist	...	Jeannie
Craig Ferguson	...	Melander Stevens
Devin Douglas Drewitz	...	Scottie (as Devin Drewitz)

Storyline

"Chain of Fools" is a heist comedy-romance about a hapless barber whose life takes a turn for the worse when he ends up in possession of a stolen treasure of ancient coins (the "Shiny New Enemies") and simultaneously falls on the wrong side of the law and in love with the detective investigating the crime.

---

Plot Keywords:

canine | man's best friend | botched robbery | robbery | theft | 

---

Taglines:

La comédie qui sent l'embrouille

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, sexuality and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Claudia Schiffer was originally cast as Karen.

---

Goofs

When Mikey (Elijah Wood) is about to shoot Bollingsworth (Tom Wilkinson), he points a Walther P99 pistol at him. The pistol is, however, not cocked as revealed by the absence of the bright red "cocked" indicator below the rear sights. This would make it impossible for the weapon to fire. (This may have been an intentional precaution by the filmmakers as the weapon has no safety switch.)

---

Quotes

Mikey: Excuse me, is this chair being used?
Snotty Man: Does it look like it's being used?
Mikey: "Does it look like it's being used?" That's a good one.
[Mikey picks up the chair and smashes the man with it]
Mikey: Now it's being used.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Episode #7.157 (2011)

---

Soundtracks

Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out)
Written by Matt Sims & David Cooley
Performed by Citizen King
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Aptly named

This is basically a "laugh at the losers" episode flick in the vein of "Short Cuts", without the pretension and with a healthy dose of Quentin Tarantino thrown in for good measure (sans the nastiness and macho violence.) Chain of Fools boasts the essential (for this type of movie) array of crooks and oddballs; from Jeff Goldblum's psychopathic rent-a-thief character to Elijah Wood's adolescent aspiring hitman.

The film is uneven, which is probably a result of the relative inexperience of the director(s). There are several scenes that just feel pointless, and the Bollingsworth character could have used a little polishing, but on the whole the movie is thoroughly enjoyable. Steve Zahn is great as the loser protagonist, Elijah Wood shines as the hitman wannabe, Jeff Goldblum turns in a solid performance and sexy Salma Hayek once again demonstrates she can do a lot more than just look pretty and dance with snakes.

Chain of Fools is no Pulp Fiction, but it has got an endearing quality all of its own. If Tarantino and the Coen brothers were to do a movie together I imagine you would get something a lot like this.

I give it 7/10, where Pulp Fiction is a 10/10 and The Big Lebowski is a 9/10.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shiny New Enemies

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bel Air Entertainment, City Block Productions, Lord-Weaver

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1