SOPRANOS mobster Vincent “Big Pussy” Pastore joins Titanic star Danny Nucci and Shirley Henderson from Bridget Jones' Diary in a new romantic comedy titled American Cousins (15), which goes on release on 28th November 2003 in London, Scotland and key cities nationwide.

American Cousins is about two New Jersey gangsters who are forced to take refuge with their law-abiding cousin Roberto, who runs a fish & chip shop in Glasgow. He’s happy to help, believing them to be ordinary businessmen. But when one takes a shine to his girl and the other clashes with a local hoodlum, he realises he has to stand up for himself or risk losing everything he loves.

At a recent UK media screening Maxim praised American Cousins as, ‘’A superior mob comedy that puts ANALYSE THIS firmly in the shade.'’

Director Don Coutts’ debut feature also previewed “to enormous acclaim” in New York and Chicago and has gleaned a host of tributes from critics at film festivals around the world.

Hollywood bible Variety described it as “a distinctive blend of warm comedy and violence”. It said the film was “sly and self-assured” and “compares favourably with such quirky gems as Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero and Comfort and Joy, as well as Waking Ned Divine "

Of particular interest to UK film fans will be outstanding performances by cult Hollywood actor Dan Hedaya (MULHOLLAND DRIVE/THE USUAL SUSPECTS/ALIEN: RESURRECTION), Scots veteran Russell Hunter (CALLAN/A TOUCH OF FROST/SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MASKS OF DEATH), and Gerald Lepkowski (HALIFAX: FP/THE RYANS/MONARCH OF THE GLEN) in his first leading role on the big screen.

American Cousins is one of several feature films spearheading a renaissance in Scottish filmmaking. These include YOUNG ADAM, WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF, 16 YEARS OF ALCOHOL, SOLID AIR, and AFTERLIFE.

US critic Bob Patterson said of this most recent example of the Scottish ‘new wave’: “AMERICAN COUSINS successfully manages to blend examples of the ‘Mafia mayhem’, ‘Two-guys-competing-for-a-woman’s-affection’ and ‘Happiness-means-opening-your-own-restaurant’ genres into one successful and unique concoction that has the distinctive signature of a clever chef de cinema written all over it.’’

“Tricking guys into enjoying a flick that women will like might start a new genre of imitators, and that won’t hurt the screenwriter’s and director’s careers either.”

www.american-cousins.com