Somebody will have to explain to me why this movie hasn't gotten more recognition. It is an absolutely delightful, wacky comedy, easily the best thing Susan Seidelman has done since "Desparately Seeking Susan". Judy Davis is great as usual as the people-avoiding translator who gets involved in a very unique domestic squabble and Marcia Gay Harden, Lili Taylor and Juliette Lewis are wonderful as the dramatis personae in said squabble (which turns out to be much weirder than it first seems). Harden's curvy, campy Frankie is especially memorable. It's a great film that makes strong points about the unpredictable nature of love without preaching and setting it in the Gaudi-designed wonderland of Barcelona makes it even more special. If anybody in America had seen this movie, it would have gotten raves from a lot of film critics. Certainly it's funnier and warmer than 99% of the well-known romantic comedies that have played in the States lately.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Ordinary Decent Criminal
(2000)
Little "Criminal"
6 March 2003
Britain has made a number of great crime films lately like "Sexy Beast" and "Snatch". This is not one of them. It's just too mild-mannered and lacks the cocky snap this sort of film usually has. It doesn't help that this master Irish criminal and his wife are played by the eminently non-Irish Kevin Spacey and Linda Fiorentino. Spacey virtually sleepwalks through his role while Fiorentino does one of the worst Irish accents of all time. They especially stand out among a genuine Irish supporting cast that is far more comfortable in their roles. Pierce Brosnan, a real Irishman, might have been a much better lead.
Me and Will
(1999)
An undiscovered gem
19 May 2002
It's amazing the way Hollywood squanders talent. Sherrie Rose and Melissa Behr have spent most of their careers doing exploitation and cheap TV shows. On their own they put out a movie like this. This is a very touching movie, a road picture with obvious debts to "Easy Rider" but also a lot to say about individual freedom and the choices made in life. This kind of movie was very prevalent in the 70's but is a lost art these days. And who paid attention to it? If not for an article in Femmes Fatales Magazine, I never would have heard of it. It's sad the treasure that goes unnoticed out there.
Assault of the Killer Bimbos
(1988)
BAD BIMBOS
18 December 2001
Even in the rarefied air of b-movies this is a stinker. Unlike the work of the fun B directors (H. G. Lewis, Fred Olen Ray, Al Adamson, even Ed Wood) this commits the cardinal sin of being boring. There's no energy, style or fun to this movie. It's just a tedious, drawn-out chase plot featuring three scantily clad women, of whom only Elizabeth Kaitan is worth a second look. (It's no coincidence that she's the only of the three who subsequently had any sort of career.) Even the bad actors (and there are plenty) are boring. Only Kaitan and supergeek Eddie Deezen bring anything to this party. The picture also deserves special mention for two of the lamest performances ever given by famous actors' offspring in one movie, courtesy of Griffin O'Neal and Nick Cassavettes as zonked out surfers. How did this mess ever develop a cult following?
Young Blood, Fresh Meat
(1995)
Yeesh!
3 November 2001
David DeCoteau isn't known as one of the great B-movie directors but he sunk beneath his own lowest levels with this one. In addition to what everyone has said, may I add that one scene of Julie Strain undressing was done in extreme long shot whereas every time one of the guys was nude, his butt was shoved in our faces. What up with that!? However it was nice to see, as Joe Bob Briggs might say, some gratuitous naked Michelle Bauer for old times sake. If this is the new Full Moon Pictures I say bring back Phil Fondacaro and the Puppet Master.
Chatterbox!
(1977)
The greatest talking vagina movie ever made!
26 December 2000
Compared to the lunkheaded, overly graphic sex comedies of today, this film comes off actually as innocent, sexy fun. 70's starlet Candace Rialson is gorgeous (and often naked) and really makes this goofy premise believable. Too bad she left acting after the 70's. For all the goofy sexual situations, including one where Rialson makes love to a guy in a suit of armor, this is nicely paced and has some genuine laughs. Throw in disco dancing, musical numbers and guest appearances by old school crazies Rip Taylor and Professor Irwin Corey and you have a movie that deserves a better reputation than a "World's Worst Film".
Striking Poses
(1998)
Okay plot, bad acting
24 December 2000
An obviously cheap Canadian production but not too bad for what it is. The plot moves along convincingly but the worst things here are the "acting" of Shannen Doherty and Joseph Griffin who both show as much emotion as a pair of zombies. David Mamet's "The Spanish Prisoner" is a much better variation on this theme.
Mercy
(2000)
Sexy but confusing
24 December 2000
This one is a bit more stylish than the average erotic thriller and Peta Wilson is a very sexy presence but it plays like they lost a few pages of script somewhere. Subplots come in and out of nowhere, the connections between some of the characters are murky and the killer's motivation is unclear to say the least. Maybe they could get away with this in a porn version, but here some more clarification is needed.
Lulu on the Bridge
(1998)
It's Still The Same Old Story
24 December 2000
How you feel about this film may depend on your tolerance for its plot, one that has become very familiar in recent years (two words: Sixth Sense). That said, this particular version of the idea, chronicling the romance between a jazz musician played by Harvey Keitel and a struggling actress played by Mira Sorvino, is murkier than it needs to be. Their scenes together are very convincing but once the film has played out, what has gone before doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There are a lot of familiar faces in the cast including Vanessa Redgrave, Gina Gershon and for music fans, Don Byron, Lou Reed and David Byrne.
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