Quick Change (1990): Escape from New York
1990 • Howard Franklin, Bill Murray • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Directed by Howard Franklin and Bill Murray, Quick Change is the second film adaptation of Jay Cronley’s novel. The film follows a man who stages an elaborate bank robbery while dressed as a clown, only to find that escaping New York City proves far more difficult than the crime itself. As he attempts to leave the city with his accomplices, a series of logistical obstacles and absurd encounters derail their plan.
After an opening sequence focusing on the heist, the film becomes a comedy of (frustrating) errors, showing that trying to leave New York is more difficult than escaping a building surrounded by police. The city is presented as a maze of delays, misunderstandings, and systemic inefficiencies, turning a simple getaway into an escalating series of complications.
Blending crime and comedy, in a very Bill Murray type of deadpan humour, Quick Change finds most of its humour in the randomness of the chaos that continually derails the trio on their way to the airport, which seems so out of reach. It’s a crazy world out there.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: After robbing a Manhattan bank disguised as a clown, a fed-up city planner and his two accomplices struggle to escape New York as everything from gridlock to miscommunication turns their getaway into a nightmarish odyssey. Read my review of Quick Change.
- Actors: Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Philip Bosco, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci.
- Directors: Howard Franklin, Bill Murray
- Year: 1990
- Cinematographer: Michael Chapman
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre: Crime Comedy
