What's with the lady watching TV at the end?
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loungelizard5000 — 15 years ago(February 03, 2011 05:40 AM)
I was laughing hard at that part. XD I just assumed she was the wife of the bossman and was buzzed up on wine and a couple of painkillers or sedatives and was like, "Well, yet another mobster a-hole walking around my house with a gun."
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alouette1977 — 14 years ago(October 05, 2011 02:46 PM)
I think it was just a quick satirical jab at suburbia by Michael Mann. This was the lifestyle Frank had been working for so long to join; the kind where some brain dead woman sees him with his gun out from a window and doesn't react. Just goes back to her phone call.
"Everyone else may be an a**hole, but I'm not!" - Harlan Ellison -
f-ascaso — 14 years ago(October 18, 2011 08:46 PM)
That makes no sense.
I it represented anything, it represented the mobster lifestyle, where the guys wife could care less about the sob, and was probably cheering that he'd be taken out so she could get rid of him. Leo was one cold bastard behind his grandfatherly fascade.
"if it was any good they'd have made an American version by now." Hank Hill -
thorbin — 14 years ago(October 28, 2011 05:08 PM)
This is how I saw it: if you noticed the look on her face, she looked both numb and terrified. She was no doubt smart enough to know what Frank was up to, and chose to keep to herself. No doubt she was beaten for speaking out to her husband numerous times, and whether she wanted him dead or was just psychologically conditioned to "stay in her place", I agree with a previous poster in that it was Michael Mann's visual commentary on the illusion of any criminal in having a normal, norman rockwell type life.
I can't say she would exactly "cheer" it, as Leo was still the money maker and father of their children. If anything, she'd probably beat the body repeatedly and break down crying hysterically. Sure, the Creep is dead.. but what about her security? What if she's left out of Leo's will? What if Leo's mob buddies don't protect her and her children? -
vindicator19 — 14 years ago(January 13, 2012 11:26 AM)
guys you all are wayyyyy over thnking this. Look at this mob boss, he buys and sells children like they are nothing, he buys and sells and kills whores like its nothing. The lady in the house didnt give an F. she was like, " he's an ahole go kill him."
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Artdoag2 — 13 years ago(November 02, 2012 08:35 PM)
I always wondered about the lady who seemed to be doing some paperwork when James Cann arrives in style and opens up cans of whoop ass. I always figured she was some kind of a bookie, an assistant to Leo. When she hears the scuffle, she knows what's going down: some guy who she doesnt recognize is obviously here since due to a serious dislike to her abusive, loud, dirty boss and is here to take him out. When she heard gunshots she was like "YAY! Now I can leave this place!", at least on the inside. I bet she did her best to look unassuming, laid low until the shooting stopped, and then hauled her middle-aged tail out of Dodge once she knew the coast was clear!
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monticellomeadow — 12 years ago(May 21, 2013 01:35 PM)
I'm pretty certain that was Leo's wife. And, indeed, it was "Go kill the guy and his buddies. I don't care." So she just stays silent. Reflecting that the false, idyllic life that Leo had told Frank about was a fraud on both ends, Leo's and Frank's. Frank had already found that out on his half and was coming to end Leo's "idyllic" family life. The cold, stone-stare of the wife showed Frank (and us)that Leo was an imposter in all facets of his life. Great, great flick. No wonder Caan liked it right up there with Sonny in the Godfather.
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sgrant66 — 9 years ago(May 24, 2016 09:07 AM)
Thank you, I agree 100% The wife knew directly or had suspicion of her husbands corrupt job. Her reaction, was like, the end had to happen sooner or later and the sob has due his come uppins. Reminded me of a scene in White Knights with Gregory Hines.
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mexicren — 13 years ago(June 15, 2012 08:52 PM)
I don't think it really represents anything, the old lady wisely ignored James Caan so he wouldn't kill her. There is a similar scene in The Town when a cop ignores the robbers getting into their getaway vehicle because he knows that if he takes action against a better armed opponent, he will die.
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rogueforte — 13 years ago(June 24, 2012 06:53 AM)
It was a good scene in that it showed an immediate human reaction to extreme situations that's rarely shown in movies. Most of the time in a movie, when confronted with a potential life or death decision, the actor either instantly attacks or flees ('fight or flight'). In reality, unless conditioned to react a certain way without thinking (you know, the way military and cops are trained), it doesn't happen that way.
What they don't show is the more common reaction of simply freezing up and doing nothing. It's actually the instinctive reaction any animal has, whether they're camoflauged or not. They freeze in the hope that whatever has spotted them won't see them or make some move to show they're either going to leave them alone and move on or come after them.
That's what the woman was doing: "This guy probably isn't here to kill me because, if he was, I'd be dead already. So, now, instead of screaming to warn Leo and becoming a target, if I just stay perfectly calm and quiet, it will increase my chances of getting out of here alive".
A more interesting question would be if she continued calmly sitting and watching tv after Frank moved on and then while all the carnage was taking place in other parts of the house. -
revenancer — 13 years ago(September 08, 2012 02:38 PM)
My interpretation was that it was the final evidence that Leo was completely full of beep What had finally won Frank over, despite all his seeming good-naturedness and gifts, was Leo's speech about how his wife and kids were the most important and fulfilling part of his life, and that dead-eyed look on that woman's face while someone came in to kill her husband was proof that even that was a lie to reel Frank in.
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electronod — 13 years ago(October 28, 2012 10:34 AM)
What is her stage name? I want to research her. She's mentioned nowhere. The poor dear was the legitimate wife of Leo and had his child as mentioned in the Katz And Jammer Bar. (Was that really William Petersen behind the plank?) As Leo's wife of many years and mother of his child, she was well aware of his dealings and was probably aware of Barry's murder. She never discounted the possibility of a home invasion or other retaliatory events. And besides, what would you do if someone pointed a weapon at you? You would probably freeze like she did. Play it cool like she did. And in all likelyhood she probably ran for her life as soon as Frank progressed with his infiltration. But the real question is, why did Frank allow Attaglia to keep his pistol? I suppose Frank will collect on the insurance money and blame Leo and the local Mafia faction for the destruction of his house, his used car dealership and his bar. He'll probably hook up with Jessie and baby David and start anew in some thriving metropolis with a warm sunny climate, all the more wiser and free of his immaturity and will buy a photo album instead of a folded collage kept in his wallet.
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pHfactory — 13 years ago(March 31, 2013 10:01 AM)
Basically, this is Mann's third, and final statement on the relationships of successful criminals, and their wives. First, when 'Frank' picks-up 'Jesse' in the bar, and goes for a drive in the Cadillac, he point-blank tells her he's a straight-up thief. He never told his first wife that, and that marriage failed. Then in the all-night scene, when 'Jesse' is considering 'Frank's proposal, she states the dilemma of BEING a criminal's wife - "You don't know from one day to the next whether you'll killed, go home, or get busted." She'll have to accept this reality if she's going to hook-up with him. Finally, 'Leo's wife, who had MANY years ago accepted the very same ever-present danger, and spent a lifetime emotionally-preparing for exactly such a scenario, accepts the inevitable with complete detachment. She's likely played out this exact scenario, in her head, dozens of times over the years. So basically, Mann was saying that in that world, in order to have a long-term successful relationship, the wife must accept this is one of the hazards of the job, and part and parcel of the lifestyle. She knows where the money comes from, she's got a good idea what he does to get it, but he never tells her anything about his work, and she never asks. Her job is to create a home where he leaves his other world at the doorstep, raises their kids and gets an AMEX Gold Card for life. Because she's never been a part of 'Leo's 'work', in her mind, she's not even in the same room with Frank.
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Redux006 — 12 years ago(July 21, 2013 12:45 AM)
I figured it was the boss's wife. We all know what an a**hole the boss was, so probably after many years together she didn't care what happened to him. Couldn't even be bothered to stop watching TV when she saw someone coming to kill him. Also she was probably used to that sort of thing happening around there, so wasn't particularly surprised.
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chrisschock — 11 years ago(July 28, 2014 07:55 AM)
I think people are reaching a bit too far on this one. I would say she is Leo's wife. Her non reaction is probably a mix of apathy and understanding. Understanding that Frank is not there to kill her and if she keeps quiet she will be ok.