Welcome to Collinwood is a movie that is out of time and out of place with it's mild slapstick and regional humor. It is a film that will have a hard time finding it's audience, but it is indeed significantly entertaining. I just wouldn't recommend the need to see it in a movie theater.
This movie is a story that has a 1920s caper feel to it but I believe it takes place in modern times; it's really filmed in a timeless manner that is kind of impressive. The story takes place in Collinwood, which seems to be a lower working class neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. There is a lot of regional humor such as play on Italian and Polish stereotypes and also the use of words that I had no idea what they were until this movie. What happens is Cosimo (Luis Guzman) goes to prison and finds out from a lifer about a "bellini". What ends up being is a stashed treasure in a safe that is supposed to be easy to get. Cosimo goes nuts because he is in prison and can't steal it but he tells his wife and she tells another guy who tells another and soon a team of crackpots has assembled to try to break into a pawnshop safe.
Welcome to Collinwood features some classic performances from career actors such as William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Jeter. There is also an appearance from George Clooney as a quadriplegic safe cracker. You can bet that was some kind of weird subtle joke by the writers of this movie. The movie was produced by Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Traffic) and Clooney.
This is a slapstick light comedy in a different way than regular slapstick thus giving this movie a very distinct and unique feel. It was an entertaining, and the critics seem to really like it and I think it is just because it is different. I thought it was cheesy and kind of lame, although I was mildly entertained. Not worth a trip to the theater unless you are craving just this kind of movie, it's better you wait until it's on cable.
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