Hoffa, 1992

Hoffa, directed by Danny Devito, is a biographical film based on the life of Jimmy Hoffa, the infamous Teamster Union leader. The first portion of the movie is a series of flashbacks that help catch the viewer up to the present life of Jimmy Hoffa. The next portion of the movie shows how Jimmy rose to power within the Teamster Union. Jimmy’s trial and subsequent jail time are touched on briefly in the movie. The movie ends with Jimmy Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance.

The movie opens up a lot of questions about conspiracy theories and Robert Kennedy, who is suggested to have played a part in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. The conspiracy theory is of course what makes the movie good and intriguing. Despite this, the flashbacks in the beginning of the movie are a little much and make it a little difficult to follow initially. After the movie moves beyond the flashbacks, the pace slows a bit and the viewer can get more into the film. Since the movie is based on truth, there is a little room for holes in the plot unlike some other movies. However, the series of events leading up to his disappearance do not match the real life events. In the movie, Jimmy is shown meeting someone at a diner in the middle of nowhere. However, in real life Jimmy went to an upscale restaurant in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The acting is well done. Jack Nicholson, who played Jimmy Hoffa, did a convincing job of portraying the Teamster leader and Devito, who portrayed Bobby Ciaro, did equally well. Despite the revelations of Jimmy Hoffa’s actions and personality, viewers become almost sympathetic to the Teamster.