Who Is Cletis Tout?

Plot synopsis:
The film is told primarily in flashback, as the film first follows a hitman, Critical Jim (Tim Allen), who follows and holds at gunpoint a man he believes is Cletis Tout - but who actually is Finch (Christian Slater). Because Critical Jim is so fond of film noir and other classic films (such as Casablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany's), he's willing to listen to Finch as he tells his story, imagining it as a film in progress. Finch obliges, explaining how he got to be mistaken for Cletis Tout.
Finch happened to be in the same jail with Micah (Richard Dreyfuss), who stole diamonds more than 20 years before, then hid the diamonds and soon landed in prison. With Finch's help, Micah manages to break out, and the two get new identities for themselves, courtesy of a coroner (Billy Connolly) who owes Finch a favor.
The problem is that Finch's new identity is that of Cletis Tout, a photojournalist who managed to get a mafia figure's son strangling a woman on film. The head of the mafia gets his men to kill Tout (which is how the coroner got the identity for Finch), but when Finch goes to Cletis' apartment to look for his passport, a neighbor calls the police, who inform the mafia head that Cletis Tout is still alive.
After Micah meets up with his now grown-up daughter, Tess (Portia de Rossi), he's accidentally shot by the men sent to kill Cletis. Just before dying, Micah gets Finch to promise to watch after his daughter, and thus Tess and Finch begin an uneasy relationship as they look for the diamonds.
Meanwhile, the mafia head decides to bring in a professional, and subsequently calls in Critical Jim to finish the job. However, Critical Jim is more interested in where Finch's story will end - specifically, if he'll be able to reconcile with Tess in the end, giving the story a perfect Hollywood ending.

Tags: bleak, boring

Review:
I have avoided this movie since the day it came out, firstly it had Tim Allen in it, second that poster looked hideous and thirdly it was an ensemble piece.
It just looked stupid, I had heard it was good, but the name, the poster and the Tim Allen thing all made me walk past this movie over and over again in the video store.
So finally I get it out, and from the two mafia guys talking about deliverance right through till the end I love this movie.This is a movie about movie clichés, but it tells the story in such a way that you could watch even more clichés and still enjoy it.
Slater was good, not true romance good, but good, Connolly is great, but the man who steals the shop is Allen who is the funniest hit-man since Grosse Point Blank (Aykroyd or Cusack).
And not only is Allen funny, but he holds the movie together in what is by far the toughest role.I cannot believe more people have not seen this movie.
I don't know why the director isn't getting work after this (other than its failure to make any money), but I urge any future directors to look this man up and give him some cash.If you're reading this review, ignore this movie no further..
*I'll skip the plot outline part and go right ahead to the comments.This movie reminded me a bit "The Usual Suspects".
Not that the movie has the same plot or it tries to copy "The Usual Suspects", but it had a similar vibe - how the story unwraps itself and goes together.
If you can manage to take them out from their usual roles i.e Portia de Rossi as an Sub-Zero Nell in Ally McBeal and Tim Allen as Santa Claus etc, then you might even have a pleasant surprise.
Supporting cast is believable, even the bad guys.This movie is not for people who love bloody action, laughing your head off or deep plots.
The best way is to watch this movie without and special expectations or prejudices.
It starts out slow, but it's actually a very good story, which should have been allowed to run its course *au naturel*, without the over-analytical commentary by Critical Jim. This, for me, is the main reason why this movie fails to garner more than a 6 out of 10.Another reason is, as I said, it starts out too slow.
For half the movie, the only thing that makes you want to spend your time on it is Portia de Rossi's prettiness.
To be a really good movie, it needed to have had a number of more attractive elements, be they pretty women or interesting plot turns..
Even though I loved "Fiction" (and hated "Gump") I can still appreciate the cheekiness of stealing the diffuse plot structure, toning down the bloodletting and bad words, and injecting two very refreshing elements....a nice sense of humanity and an obviously genuine affection for the art of cinema...anyone who is open to either of those qualities should find much to enjoy in this nice little film..
Obviously the flashback driven structure is a bit predictable and cheesy, but I have seen way dumber films this year.
Overall this could have been much worse,, ( imagine Ms. J Roberts as the love interest.) The plot was fine if a little contrived, and the constant movie references wore a bit thin presented as they were.
After seeing last falls "Happy Accidents" many times, I doubted if I would ever see another movie that made me feel the same way.
Tim Allen (who is cast against type here) is a movie loving hit man who takes both old movies, and his profession extremely seriously, but alas does have a heart, as we see at the end.
The real gem here is the plot, and Tim Allen's handling of his part, WOW...I hope this guy takes more roles of this type..He shine's.
I had never heard of it but after reading the description thought it worthy of a look, and plus I love Tim Allen.I was pleasantly surprised by the film and would recommend it!
Good cast, including Tim Allen whom I feel is underrated at best.
We get to see TIm Allen playing against type, Christian Slater doing his eyebrow thing), Richard Dreyfuss as a wizened mentor (sort of a criminal Yoda), and Portia DeRossi looking gorgeous.The story is mostly told in flashback form, as a bound Christian Slater relates his tale to hitman Allen.
Best line, from Allen to Slater:  "Has anyone ever told you you sound EXACTLY like Jack Nicholson?".
This is just the kind of movie I like, comedic capers with quirky characters.
It is a B rated film in my opinion which stars Christian Slater.
Tim Allen plays a different character, a hitman of some sort, but yet still finds many times to insert his brand of humor in the flick.
Slater plays about the same kind of average role in this one that he always seems to play in most movies, meaning he doesn't hurt the film, but yet he doesn't oooh and ahhhh us either.
Then there is the girl, you know, the girl that the escapee falls for, the girl that at first is too good for him, but who then later begins to warm up to him.All in all, if you rent this expecting it to be just a B rated type of movie, meaning, not that good but not too horribly bad, you won't be disappointed.
I normally wouldn't even write about a movie I didn't like, but this missed the boat in so many respects, leaving me feeling so disappointed, that I feel compelled to share my thoughts.
What began as a potentially funny hook (the hit man/movie buff) became a crutch used to artificially move the story along.
Though I'm not a big fan of either Christian Slater or Richard Dreyfus, I have to say that they did their jobs and were just fine...which didn't matter because there was no real movie for them to act in.Worst moments: the fairly direct rip-off of Pulp Fiction by wrapping back around from beginning to end with two somewhat comical criminals having a discussion in a diner, and Tim Allen trying to play the part of the producer listening to a pitch while having no timing for such dialog.Too bad, I was hoping for at least something that would have me leaving the theatre chuckling..
First off for everyone who praised this movie in comments I would like to say good for you.
If my brother/sister/mother were involved with any aspect of a movie, I too would go to bat for the film regardless of whether it was good or not.
Christian Slater plays a con who gets mistaken for a man wanted by the mob, and Tim Allen is a hitman who needs a reality check.
Bad Title, Good Movie.
A movie-buff friend of mine recommended it, so I put it on my Netflix list and finally popped it into the player.Cletis Tout turned out to be great fun.
I enjoyed the interwoven flashbacks and the comments made by Critical Jim (played by Tim Allen).
Christian Slater plays a take-off on his usual slimy lying characters by playing a crook who tells the truth.It helps to have seen some of the movies that Critical Jim riffs on as Finch's story unfolds, but that's not completely necessary.
Even for someone who loves old movies as much as Tim Allen's character, the oh-so-not-threatening hit man Critical Jim, I have to emphatically pan this movie.
Obviously trying to mimic the classics in film style / plot formation (Critical Jim actually breaks it down for you every 15 minute, in case you forget), the main difference between the painfully predictable plot of ...Cletis Tout and, say, Breakfast At Tiffany's is that at least in Breakfast..., the acting is decent, costumes are memorable, and you actually care what happens to the characters.
I loved the way he integrated so many plot lines within the movie.
Although Tim Allen was cast against type, he romanced old movies quite nicely while portraying an effective hit-man with a heart.
Christian Slater was also pretty good and funny.
In a penitentiary, the forger Trevor Allen Finch (Christin Slater) organizes the escape of his friend and former magician Micah Donnelly (Richard Dreyfuss).
The Mafia believes Cletis is alive and hires Critical Jim (Tim Allen), a hitman who loves old movies, to kill Cletis.
With many citations of important movies, and funny and nice characters, it is impossible not to like this story, which is a kind of popcorn Pulp Fiction without explicit violence.
But at the same time, it can have some really good elements; adding the bad elements, it is a regular movie.
The number 6 means regular movie, but doesn't necessarily means some good and bad elements.For example, this is a comedy and it doesn't generate much laughs.
The interesting thing is that he is a murderer, but loves old movies; classics.
Another disappointment is that the premise is based on Critical Jim's character and his love for movies.
But the movie betrays Critical Jim, betrays its story, and it ultimately betrays itself.
Tim Allen plays Critical Jim, in a delightful and surprising performance at the same time.
He plays Critical Jim like you've never seen him, totally distanced from his usual roles.
RuPaul is in the cover, but...why?Finch tells the story to Critical Jim because the critic likes old movies, and wants to make a movie of the story.
Tim Allen plays a hit-man who loves movies and kills time before killing Slater by listening to Slater tell his story.
The catch, although I doubt Slater believes it, is that if Allen enjoys the story enough, he might let Slater go.This is a fun, light-hearted crime movie.
Not the greatest movie of all time, I can easily think of many films worse that the critics loved.
WHOOT!!I agree it looks like THE USUAL SUSPECT idea of film making, but hey!!...
"Who Is Cletis Tout?" is a strange, mildly confusing, but fairly entertaining movie about mistaken identities, as told by a young woman (Portia de Rossi), a hit-man (Tim Allen) and some other people.
I just really liked Allen's movie-centric mnemonics, and it's good to see him doing a more serious role.So, this movie's OK as simple entertainment; don't expect any kind of religious experience.
With Richard Dreyfous, Christian Slater (in a better than usual performance) and Portia De Rossi this crime/comedy is both under-rated and little known.
"Who is Cletis Tout" is a noirish little crime comedy romp which tells of a movie quoting film fan and hitman (Allen) who holds an excon and flimflam man (Slater) at gun point while the latter recounts why he isn't who the former thinks he is via flashbacks  until the flashbacks catch up with present time and the film runs out from there.
While watching this movie on Showtime OnDemand, I was continually comparing this film to Pulp Fiction.
Nearing the end of the movie, I discovered it wasn't only similar to Pulp, but also True Romance, Snatch, and The Usual Suspects.
(What was the last movie John Travolta did before Pulp Fiction?) I haven't seen Slater act this well since '93 in True Romance.
I love Allen's sitcom, and I watch reruns everyday on the Superstation, but his movie career hasn't always been so solid.
gives me more respect for Allen.The way this film gives you little details at a time reminds me of The Usual Suspects.
The ending isn't even near Usual's, but the rest was enjoyable.I loved this movie, and I give it 8/10..
Classic movie referencesthroughout the movie added to the fun...The line where Allen asks Slater, "Anybody ever tell you that you have a Jack Nicholson quality about you"?
It is so nice to "find" a little movie that has a small budget and modest production that scores big on story, acting, direction and intelligence.
And makes it comfortable unpredictable.The film is written and directed by Chris Ver Wiel, it seems it is his story, his piece, that he wrote and directed, I am a fan of that sort of novelty.Nice for an entertaining, easy-going, story movie.
However not all of what we want, we could get !!But still the best thing about it is of course the character of the old movies' maniac, the sentimental elegant and the hit-man also !
It's a fact that (Tim Allen) stole the lights from everybody to himself but I think the lights originally were owned by his character earlier in the script.I would like to read him as the lonely only one who loves cinema, understands it, finds himself in a world of totally different people and there is no one like him.
Watching a movie like "Who is Cletis Tout" is rather like drinking diet cola.
For an old time film buff like myself it was a fun challenge.
"Who is Cletis Tout" is certainly a movie worth watching.
I disagree with a previous comment that you shouldn't expect much of this film - the storyline is engaging, funny, and very well acted - yes, even Slater.
I thought Christian Slater's character was very well acted - and Tim Allen did a great job with a novel role.
Christian Slater was likeable and smart, Tim Allen was his smartallikey self and Portia was just beautiful.
a movie you want to rent when nothing good is released....
Casting in lower budget films always has more intrigue (consider Tim Allen as a hitman).
The real beauty in this film is its writing of characters that are straight out of a Elmore Leonard book.I would classify this as a video-store "find": one you can rent for your friends, have them make fun of you, then admit later that they really enjoyed it..
The point of view changes back and forth between a great unexpected Tim Allen, playing the hitman Critical Jim, and an always great Christian Slater playing his 'mark' Trevor Allen Finch, a forger by profession.At the start we set of in a Pulp Fiction kind of way end see (a part) of the ending at the beginning, thus making the viewer more anxious to see the "real" ending.
The story turns out to be great and Critical Jim does honor to his name and shaves a few rough edges to make this story to the great movie it is.The sappy ending of Finch getting the girl and the bad guys what they deserve is a bit of an anti climax but all in all this is a flick that will keep you of the street and put a smile on your face..
Since we're all just a little too well-versed in the post-modern book of ironic cliches, you probably figured out this is a hitman.Jim's after Cletis Tout, but the guy he's got (Christian Slater) insists he's Trevor Finch.
The story involves some stolen jewels, a jailbreak, mistaken identity, and even a love story (a great excuse to enjoy the lovely Portia de Rossi)At first CLETIS TOUT seems destined to be That Movie.
may be one of the worst film titles ever but don't let it put you off from seeing the movie!
Winning performances from Christian Slater, Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Allen, Portia de Rossi, RuPaul and Billy Connelly..
Throw in Portia De Rossi as Dreyfuss's daughter (and the 'I hate him for no apparent reason, no wait, now I love him for no apparent reason' relationship with Slater - and I use the term 'relationship' lightly; Tom Cruise had more chemistry with the fish in 'Jerry Maguire'), a painful cameo by RuPaul, a moderately funny though sadly underused Billy Connolly, a mob boss with all the menacing screen presence of American Pie's Chris Klein, two mob button men more cut out for a Home Alone sequel and a soundtrack that sounds like background music from a computer game, then have almost the entire movie played out as a series of flashbacks that Slater is telling mob hitman Critical Jim (played by Tim Allen, who is constantly quoting classic movies a la Remington Steele) and have the audience needlessly wonder at how much of what Slater is saying is true, if anything, and what kind of plot twist might be in store (needlessly wonder because *Spoiler* it's all true and there is no plot twist), and end it all with a cliched train station finish...Well, what can I say.
I must say i didn't even want to watch it,but it must been faith who maid me to..and i started to watch it and with every scene i was more and more excited.I don't even need to mentions that this movies has it all,and i mean everything that a great movies should have...besides comedy,this movie have a real story,a romance,even have a little bit of action,and that's the things which viewers want to watch,not the new movies without the real feelings...and this is coming from a 16 year old boy.And I recommend this movie for all to watch it..
Tim Allen was good, interesting character.
I'm referring to Tim Allen's CRITICAL JIM character.
As a big Christian Slater fan, I'm thinking to myself : He needs a great movie to make a good comeback.
The story is good, very nice twists, the right amount of humor and quotes and ...last but not least...a great tribute to an endless number of classic films.
And by that it's proven again...knowing a lot about movies can save your life...Christian Slater gives a flawless performance.
*** Spoiler alert *** The majority of the story is being revealed to Tim Allen's character by Christian Slater's character, by way of flashbacks ...
This is also novel and appreciated.'Cletis Tout' makes two films Tim Allen has made that hardly anybody has seen and I don't know why.
I just want Tim to keep making films like 'Who is Cletis Tout' and 'Big Trouble'.