It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

hyped garbage

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I first saw "With Friends Like These..." on video and assumed that it had gone straight to video. I should have known better than to think that! Portraying a circle of friends double-crossing each other with the aim of getting a part in Martin Scorsese's next picture, the movie pulls no punches. What can you expect in Hollywood?! A small movie, maybe, but a pretty neat one. I don't doubt that it offers a realistic look at things. And everyone does a good job in the roles. Starring Adam Arkin, David Strathairn, Robert Costanza, Amy Madigan, Bill Murray, Michael McKean...and yes, Marty himself in a brief appearance.The role of Mussolini. Hmm...

I just saw this film in its 2005 re-release. It's really a fun little film, with quite a few laughs and lots of great moments among a really amazing, well-chosen cast.It's so much smarter than the average Hollywood film -- which may have been its problem when released?! Who knows why studios do what they do -- and apparently, they didn't do this film justice in 1998 (after all, it has an ensemble cast where -- gasp -- no one is under 30!)As both a writer and an Italian-American, I got perhaps an extra kick out of the story, which is about survival in Hollywood for these four actor characters and their families -- but the film's humor and theme of friendship is truly universal.

Wonderfully done! I thought I knew each of the characters. One right after another they became more real. It amazes me why films like this don't get more play! It's realism into the world of auditioning breaks your heart! It shows what people with hearts for their work, these actors, have to go through to get a job! Holding on to HOPE which is all you have. Bill Murray's cameo was right on the money! Unlike in Baseball if you're a 300 hitter you're job on a team should be fairly secure. But with acting, as these characters experience, it's a whole different ball game!This movie will definitely make the out of work actor want to throw a brick through the TV. However it also makes you see that family and friends is what life is all about!

This original, warm, funny and biting satirical comedy shows us the ups and downs of four character actors in Los Angeles. Their friendships are tested when Martin Scorsese comes to LA to cast "Capone" his new (and fictional) project. A lively, hilarious script is balanced by full, three dimensional performances from the well known faces (particularly the always brilliant David Strathairn), and there are some great cameos to boot.