Telling Lies in America by Joe Eszterhas - 8.5 out of 10

Telling Lies in America by Joe Eszterhas
8.5 out of 10


Telling Lies in America is the kind of motion picture that does not have the acclaim, popularity and the large audience it deserves.

It is not Some Like It Hot, but it is a very good, thought provoking film...to some extent anyway.
Just as the film deserved more attention and praise, Brad Renfro, the splendid actor that plays the part of Karchy "Chucky" Jonas, should have been included in the gallery of actors with important roles.

Karchy is the hero of the feature, who has arrived in America as a refugee, together with his father, Doctor Istvan Jonas, portrayed by the iconic Maximilian Schell.
The mother has died in a refugee camp and father and son hope that they will get the American citizenship, once they pass - Insha'Allah - the test.

The hero seems to have developed a defense mechanism that involves making up stories, lying, forging some cards, although not for material gain.
In fact, he would be repelled and infuriated when he will see that his friend is trying to take advantage of people.

Billy Magic is the other main character of the motion picture, played by the wondrous Kevin Bacon, also famous for the Kevin Bacon networking quotient.
He is a disc jockey who organizes a contest to hire an assistant and the winner will be the one that gets most authentic postcards with votes.

And this allegedly well liked individual is Karchy, albeit Billy would tease him a few times and say that the cards were false, the signatures all similar and anticipating, we would learn that this was the reason why he selected the hero, for his willingness to cheat.
Chucky is in love with Diney Majeski aka Calista Flockhart and he takes her out one evening and foolishly puts the Spanish fly - whatever that is - in her drink.

A colleague has provided this, assuring him that the effect will be to make her horny, only the woman is very sick.
They have an argument when she finds the truth, but the loyal, somewhat honest boy waits all night on her porch to see that she is feeling fine in the morning.

Henry aka Luke Wilson interferes in this romance and he may have bigger chances, offering a stability that perhaps Diney would rather have.
The hero is involved in some scandals and pranks, including one in which he seeks payback for the ruined, expensive coat on which Kebin Boyle aka Jonathan Rhys Meyers has poured food.

Kevin is waiting to confess and the imaginative, naughty Karchy sneaks in the place of the priest who is not there at the moment and lights the bulb to invite the next schoolboy to talk about his sins.

The hero is amused, almost laughs when he hears his enemy talk about the fact that he cannot restrain himself, "abusing" as Catholics would put it, masturbating in a frenzy, many times per night.
This becomes sad though, precipitating the truth about his father beating and abusing his mother, while their son cannot take it anymore.

The priest arrives and finds the problem pupil - he has been in trouble before - involved in a very serious offense.
In fact, he is suspended, forbidden to attend graduation, although he would be given his papers to attest that he has finished school.

On the other front, he learns about life, some of the exciting parts and the unsavory side of making money from Billy Magic.
The man who is perhaps nearing thirty teaches the teenager some valuable lessons, while at the same time providing the antihero model on the moral side of the plot.

Billy invites the boy to drive his resplendent, red, convertible Cadillac.
Have you driven in such a car?

Lots of times.
This is the leitmotif, the answer that becomes a joke, for he has not driven in this car, has not had any sexual encounter with a woman, but he keeps pretending he did...

Lots of times...

One night, Billy takes the kid home, with two women, one of whom is telling him to unzip her, plays with the boy and tells him he is very gentle.
Alas, th next morning, the pride of becoming a man is diminished, if not extinguished, when Magic asks about the experience and tells his friend that it had better been good, for he paid good money for it...

The same scene we see in The Cable Guy, after the Jim Carrey character informs the Matthew Broderick personage about the identical transaction .

It is illegal for a disc jockey to get money to promote songs that would get more sales if aired on the radio.
This is nonetheless what Billy does, using Karchy as intermediary.

The authorities are on the trail and this could be very serious.
More damaging to the boy and his father, than for the man who knows all the ropes and has been in this situation before.
The agents threaten the boy and his father with the loss of their citizenship exam.

If he does not testify against Magic, the judge will be told that he is not American citizen material.
To make things worse, Billy Magic has listened to the band of some friends of Karchy, liked their performance which would bring them in the Top Twenty charts.

Hence, he will help with the contract for an album with a record company.
That stipulates that he gets 70% of the money!

An irate Karchy confronts the one he mistook for a friend and tells him he must destroy that deal and take 0%.

For all his faults, Billy Magic would be an infinitely better president than the crook and scoundrel that the MAGA fanatics and deplorables- Hillary was right - have sent to the White House.
At least Magic had charm, appeals and a positive attitude, making amends for some of his sins.