Her Alibi (1989)
2.5/4
'Her Alibi' is a curious piece of fluff. I'm aware that this film doesn't work. But there I was, carried along; it doesn't have good acting, good writing, directing, and so on. Tom Selleck, in the title role, basically plays everything the same and straight. His co-star, Paulina Porizkova, plays her character straight and without depth, just like Selleck. They kind of just wander through the movie. But the movie itself, surprisingly, works - there's no question it's a piece of fluff, but it's a fast paced, quick moving piece of fluff, highlighted by some interesting plot twists and a clever story. While the writing is far from Shakespere (some scenes more than others), some of the set-ups are actually quite clever and I think sometimes work. Oftentimes, however, it mostly doesn't work, and that's a lot of dialogue and acting from the two main stars.
The movie's plot is (I think) the best part of the movie and managed to keep my interest. It follows Phil Blackwood (Tom Selleck), a mystery writer suffering from writer's block after writing 30 straight detective novels. It's clear to him that he needs inspiration, and eventually sees a beautiful Romanian murder suspect (Paulina Poriszkova) at a trial, and later meets her. As Phil slowly falls for her, he provides her alibi, and she stays with him. The tension grows as he's not sure whether she'll kiss or kill him, and the film becomes a sort of a comedic mystery.
All together, the film is very watchable. Selleck and Poriszkova are likable even with the little acting talent they have, and director Bruce Beresford utilizes the clever script to keep things moving. It's a surprisingly entertaining experience. I'm not recommending the movie, but I kind of liked it. I'm shocked also.
2.5/4
'Her Alibi' is a curious piece of fluff. I'm aware that this film doesn't work. But there I was, carried along; it doesn't have good acting, good writing, directing, and so on. Tom Selleck, in the title role, basically plays everything the same and straight. His co-star, Paulina Porizkova, plays her character straight and without depth, just like Selleck. They kind of just wander through the movie. But the movie itself, surprisingly, works - there's no question it's a piece of fluff, but it's a fast paced, quick moving piece of fluff, highlighted by some interesting plot twists and a clever story. While the writing is far from Shakespere (some scenes more than others), some of the set-ups are actually quite clever and I think sometimes work. Oftentimes, however, it mostly doesn't work, and that's a lot of dialogue and acting from the two main stars.
The movie's plot is (I think) the best part of the movie and managed to keep my interest. It follows Phil Blackwood (Tom Selleck), a mystery writer suffering from writer's block after writing 30 straight detective novels. It's clear to him that he needs inspiration, and eventually sees a beautiful Romanian murder suspect (Paulina Poriszkova) at a trial, and later meets her. As Phil slowly falls for her, he provides her alibi, and she stays with him. The tension grows as he's not sure whether she'll kiss or kill him, and the film becomes a sort of a comedic mystery.
All together, the film is very watchable. Selleck and Poriszkova are likable even with the little acting talent they have, and director Bruce Beresford utilizes the clever script to keep things moving. It's a surprisingly entertaining experience. I'm not recommending the movie, but I kind of liked it. I'm shocked also.