The Opportunists

The Opportunists is a sterling heist crime drama directed by Myles Connell. It emanated from the production line in 1999 and features leading roles by Christopher Walken, Peter McDonald, and Anne Pitoniak.

The film demonstrates a captivating tale, focusing on an ex-thief, Victor Kelly, played by the iconic Christopher Walken. Kelly, having spent his days as a thief, leaving a trail of misdeeds in his wake, is trying to leave those days behind and to live a more pressing and honest life in New York City. However, life continues to be an uphill battle, saddled with problems arising from a current lack of money and an increasing fear of losing his auto repair shop due to a failure to pay debts. Kelly is a masterfully cast character, the empowered presence of Walken bringing an extent of palpable vulnerability to someone who is fighting to come out of the shadows of his past.

The plot is thickened by the arrival of a would-be robber, Michael Lawler, played by Ireland's Peter McDonald. Lawler hails from Ireland, claiming to be related and hoping to learn the trade from the experienced older man. His arrival induces the momentum for the narrative, introducing curiosity, apprehension, and a dash of comedy to the story. Lawler's plan provides Victor Kelly the temptation of falling back into his old, criminal ways, with the promise of an easy payoff and the relief of his mounting financial woes.

Anne Pitoniak’s character, Aunt Dierdre, offers a charming balance to the rocky road that Victor is treading. Her character is at once lovable and tragic and provides an emotional fulcrum for the story. The relationship between Kelly and his aunt further paints a multicolored backdrop to Kelly’s struggles—showing a man who is not merely a hard-boiled criminal but who cares for his elderly aunt and seeks to mend his fractured family ties.

Interweaving the central story are subplots involving Kelly's struggling romance with Miriam Kelly, a bar owner played by Cyndi Lauper, and his increasingly delicate role as a father. These additional angles, peppered with the drama of consequence, evade too much predictability in the film alongside reinforcing the well-rounded personality of Victor—a gangster, a caring nephew, a would-be lover, and an awkward father.

"The Opportunists" does splendidly well to paint a whirlpool of low-level criminals attempting to find stability in a world that is persistently unstable. The production strays significantly from the high-octane and strategy-filled grandeur of traditional heist films, treading instead a realistic aesthetic that forms an authentic portrayal of blue-collar crime. It teeters on the edge of genre boundaries, creating a film portrait that is at once a heist film, a family drama, and a comedy.

Director Myles Connell impeccably captures the soul of the small-time Irish-American community in Queens, New York. Complemented by the predominantly somber color palette, the overall tone of the movie is set as gloomy and grim, underscoring the underlying sense of despair that permeates throughout the narrative.

The performances by the cast are stellar. Christopher Walken, with his intense eyes and calm demeanor, profoundly embodies the role of a one-time criminal trying so hard to tread the path of honesty despite the encircling difficulties. Peter McDonald brings a sense of refreshing vitality to the film, with the element of mystery that surrounds his character keeping the audience engrossed.

Cyndi Lauper, in a rare acting role, delivers an earnest performance as Miriam, adding a layer of emotional depth. Pitoniak's portrayal of Aunt Dierdre is deeply moving, and her participation in the narrative helps to emphasize the central themes of family, struggle and redemption.

The Opportunists expertly blends a unique take on heist films with layered performances, nuanced emotions, evocative cinematography and detailed characterization. Exploring themes of famial bonds, redemption, struggle, and old-world loyalty, this is a memorable story for those seeking a dramatically robust tale well-steeped in realism. The film stands as a testament to the capability of understated storytelling, offering a refreshingly humane portrayal of a man wrestling between the necessities of the present and the ghosts of the past.