This is a very funny film even though it's plot parallels that of a good number of other such good films where a youth is torn between one heartfelt life pursuit while his family had decided on another course for him. I knew I had seen Reni Santoni before, and then it dawned on me that I'd seen him (and continue to see him in reruns) on Seinfeld as Poppie in several episodes, all in which Santoni has a distinct Italian accent, obviously put on, as I now realize. Once I came to that realization, it was hard for me to disassociate Santoni from those Seinfeld appearances of some 30 years later. Nevertheless, I think Santoni did an excellent job in this film, with understated and believable humor. I, as others have noted, was somewhat surprised that he had been selected for the role of a Jewish Bronx resident when he hardly looks Jewish and does look decidedly Hispanic or Italian. Santino's acting and comic sense did, ultimately, lead me to accept, and appreciate his performance in this role. This role should have led to a greater appreciation of him and to greater celebrity, but such is life. Shelley Winters did an acceptable job as Mrs. Kolowitz, I think, but Shelley, to my thinking, at least, almost always allowed her personality and persona to overshadow the role itself, and that was the case here. I am not criticizing Shelley Winters, the actress, for whom I had much admiration, but Shelley always seemed to be more "Shelley" than the character she was portraying. Perhaps I relate to her too closely as far as our backgrounds are concerned. Overall, though, this was a picture worth seeing - and laughing along with - from entry to exit.
Review of Enter Laughing
