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Chick-Flick
Reviews
Dominick and Eugene (1988)
Do yourself a favor....
Where to begin? Is it because it has two powerfully realistic performances that make the viewer forget that it's only a movie? Is it because it's filmed in my hometown? I must admit that it was because it was shot AND set in Pittsburgh that I went to see it immediately when it was released but I soon saw past all the familiar sights of the South Side to watch a drama unfold as if these were real people that I might have even known.
Tom Hulce's portrayal of Nicky was so riveting that even without words he was able to evoke emotion that spoke volumes -- that's talent deserving of the highest accolade. He is a man-child living to please those around him; especially the one person he has depended on his whole life - his twin brother who himself is deeply committed to becoming a doctor and fearing that leaving his mentally handicapped brother to pursue his dream will mean breaking his own and Nicky's heart.
Ray Liotta as Eugene plays out his own inner struggle to succeed but not at the expense of his brother's love with such poise that it hurt to watch when he would reprimand Nicky for not using common sense in his daily life. He wants to believe that his brother is capable of caring for himself but Nicky repeatedly gets himself into scrape after scrape. Add to the mix Larry, Nicky's partner on the garbage truck. He is the little devil that sits on Nicky's shoulder feeding him reasons to believe that his brother is "dumping him like a rock" when he begins tutoring a fellow medical student. This only upsets Nicky and forces Gino to admit that he is leaving.
This movie speaks to many issues -- brotherly love, family ties, independence, jealousy and abuse, all delivered with understated grace. This is a top shelf film that makes one happy and sad by the end. There aren't enough movies like this.
Moonstruck (1987)
Funny, light romance with great comedic timing
Being one of my all-time favorite recent movies this is one of those movies I always make time to watch, no matter what I'm doing -- If I come across this while surfing at 1 a.m. then I'm guaranteed up 'til it's over!
Set in a New York borough Loretta (Cher) is a widow who settles for Johnny (Danny Aiello) who himself needs a mother type to care for him. Upon her acceptance of his "Proposal of Marriage" he's off to Palermo to inform his dying mother that he will be married. In the meantime Cher is left to invite his estranged brother to the wedding. She is unprepared to meet Ronny (Nick Cage), a bitter shell of a man who has lost in love and can summon no joy for his brother's impending nuptials. What she does as she does with everyone is take care of him only to find that he fills her with emotions that she doesn't have for her fiance. Their dialogue about why he is at odds with his brother were classic and hilarious all at once.
The characters plays nicely off each other and the whole family is typical of Italian-American - from the style of cooking to their mannerisms. Olympia Dukakis' Rose was phenomenal and her portrayal as the intuitive wife to Vincent Gardenia's Cosmo was wonderful; she completely stole the show! Cher slipped surprisingly easily into the role of Loretta like a glove and although at times her Italian accent seemed a little "too Italian" she was impressive. Danny Aiello was a great comic foil and the other supporting characters could have easily been cast from true New Yorkers.
Full of lots of outside shots of New York City this is a great date movie served best with a good bottle of wine and fresh Italian bread!