Two’s A Mob (1998)

(On TV, August 2000) The Ottawa-area movie scene is almost a joke in itself, which makes this film doubly surprising. Made around the city (which here doubles for New York!) for a low, low, low budget, Two’s a Mob aims to be a parody to such crime movies like Goodfellas, The Usual Suspects, The Godfather and other assorted films of the genre. While not every joke works and the pacing isn’t always sustained, Two’s a Mob remains a pretty good low-budget film. Writer/Actor Dan Lalande is a master of deadpan humor, and some of the gags are truly inspired (such as the movie-within-a-movie Three’s a Triad, the Corel product placement, and a neat library/rifle gag.) Better than “oh, it’s local so it’s good”; holds up fairly well against similar Hollywood film such as Jane Austen’s Mafia! So allow me to do my part for local cinema: Track down and rent Two’s a Mob! It’s worth it!