From his entrance in the opening to somewhere in the second act, Kevin Spacey's performance in "The Big Kahuna" was akin to a ripcord being pulled and our job was to watch him go. But as the film wore on, it was Devito who pulled out the really memorable performance. The one that sticks with you. The one who gives the film its center. He's the one that leaves you staring at the screen in awe. "The Big Kahuna" is a compelling character piece, the lion's share of which takes place within the confines of a hotel suite; three salesman stressing over a potential client. Facinelli's the guy tasked with holding his own against the other two acting titans, and thanks to the framework of his character, he does. This "little" movie has roller-coaster ups and downs, and I had no idea where the story would end up. But it was riveting storytelling that made sure I stuck it through to the end to find out. I mean, DeVito, my god. The guy was incredible!7/10

This is a film in the theatric vein of Glengarry Glen Ross and other David Mamet. Three salesmen, two older ones and the greenhorn protégé, are in a hotel room in Witchita to make an important pitch on lubricants. The film is almost entirely confined to the room, played over the course of a day and night.Liking it means you're going to be able to find Spacey's ironic patter to be more than empty flourish, the greenhorn not to be unbelievable and annoying as a character (a religious idealist in sales must be like finding a puritan call-girl), while preferably getting something out of the philosophical discussion pitched to us as deep. None of which was true for me, so I pass.DeVito is the sole reason to watch this if you want glimmers of truth and not mere cleverness. He shows what a great actor he can be, look how he plays to the air around him.His parting speech is beautiful of course. The realization is important in itself: honesty, empathy, regret, as openness and growth. Yet even here something feels off. Maybe it's the particular constraints imposed by this theatric format, maybe it's the manipulable artificiality inherent in a speech, but even this powerful moment, especially this, feels only like a sales pitch to an audience.

If we paused for a moment, who would we see? The big man on campus, or a man questioning life? We are all actors in a play, and we know our roles well. But do we want more? Do we wonder if we are living the life that we are supposed to be living? Faith is the guiding light to keep us strong, but dreams leave us dreaming, lost to the confines of this real world. Do we know who we are, and is this all that we would become? If we could let go, accept, would we then be free, free to be who we were meant to be, but then what would wait for us at the end of the road? Life is a funny thing, one that keeps us on our toes, but the one lesson that it will always teach us is never to take things for granted. Life is always changing, and time is pushing us along. But as time marches on, where we were, the mistakes we've made are the threads intertwining, weaving into characterization, and becoming the fabric of our definition, and we are more than we thought, exceeding limitations, and discovering new heights, greater dreams, and a breath of destiny.

Following his Oscar win for "American Beauty", Kevin Spacey starred in the semi-cynical "Big Kahuna", about three businessmen (Spacey, Danny DeVito, Peter Facinelli) trapped in a Wichita hotel room expecting an important client. The movie has the distinct feeling of a play, with the single room setting and emphasis on dialog. It's certainly got an interesting plot, with its look at the unpleasantness of life for traveling salesmen. However, aside from the strange similarity to his role in "American Beauty", Kevin Spacey also sort of repeats his role from "Glengarry Glen Ross".But don't get me wrong, I thought that the movie was worth seeing. Not any kind of masterpiece, but OK.