Who Is Cletis Tout?

from Film Forum, 08/08/02

Writer-director Chris Ver Weil's new romantic comedy Who is Cletis Tout? has not drawn much attention in spite of a colorful cast including Christian Slater, Tim Allen, Chas Palminteri, and Portia de Rossi. It tries to muster some of the vibe of The Usual Suspects, Pulp Fiction, and Get Shorty, but critics are not enthused by the title question or its resolution.

A few religious media critics found something complimentary to say. Tom Snyder (Movieguide) found it more favorable than most, calling it "an entertaining romantic crime comedy that has some very sweet, funny moments in it." And the USCCB's critic writes, "Slater and de Rossi make an unexpectedly endearing on-screen couple, which may be, in part, due to the fact that there is nothing sexually gratuitous about their relationship. It is sweet and innocent throughout the whole film. Rare it is that two attractive actors with an on-screen relationship don't jump into bed by film's end."

Both critics, however, shake their heads at "objectionable elements" and "lurid subplots."