jmgrass

The first time I watched this movie, I hated it. The second time I watched it, I liked it. The third time, it actually started to make sense. So ultimately there IS a cohesive plot, you just have to really pay attention, or watch it a few more times, which you won't mind doing if you like seeing a very-close-to-naked Eric Stoltz or a viciously sexy James Spader strutting around like Elvis. Or, if you prefer women, there's the beautiful and talented Deborah Unger, some gratuitous strippers, and this completely unrealistic Cherry girl who keeps peeling off her clothes at the first drop of alcohol.

The reason I didn't like this film is the dialogue is so trite and predictable that you roll your eyes after every other line, and even though 1997 wasn't that long ago, this film feels completed dated. The didjeri doo (however you spell it) music is completely out of place, and obviously just trying to be trendy. Cameron Diaz serves no purpose except to be annoying, and the Keith/brother character is so offensive and unlikable that I was actually disappointed when he didn't blow his own head off. The 'adolescent male' conversation he has in the bar with Richter was almost enough to make me stop watching.

I did think the acting was good. I especially liked the interplay between James Spader and Deborah Unger. These two also appeared as a married couple in David Cronenberg's Crash, but their characters in that were completely different. So I thought this film was a good example of their versatility.

Otherwise, the film is worth a rent to see James Coburn say 'sit down son, have a . . . nut.' And of course, half naked Eric Stoltz and James Spader as Elvis. Can't go wrong there!

OK, there are a lot of things to hate about this film, but there are a lot of things to love. I'll begin with the negative: Andrew McCarthy and Jami Gertz are beyond horrible. They can't act to save their lives. They remind me of the comedy duo from that "Wake up and Smile" Saturday Night Live sketch. However, they were SO bad I started to think it must be intentional and that their hapless performances are almost effective, because it reflects the helplessness that their characters experience, and it makes them into puppets or props for the real stars of this film: Robert Downey Jr. and James Spader. First Spader, he utterly rocks (as usual). Did any one else notice his catch phrase "old sport?" Nice little reference to The Great Gatsby. And the sensuality with which he hugs his former lover Julian before sentencing him to a night of hell in the Palm Springs suite could melt anyone's heart. But oh, Downey. RDJ just hits every line so perfectly and every aspect of his character just oozes his personality and emotes the heartache he experienced later on in life. I can watch this film over and over and I'm always moved by the scene on the tennis court with his father and the scene where he has the towel on his head. He WOULD have made it, you know. He WANTED to get clean. If it weren't for that darn Rip . . . Oh and you gotta love the sound track. The Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter was and is the best song of the 80's.

I seem to be part of the minority that liked this movie. Well, actually I just liked Elias Koteas and Kevin Bacon. The rest of the film did sort of frustrate me because it seemed like Steve Martin's problems were just so preventable, and he kept doing things to make the situation worse. But that aside, this film is worth renting just to see Elias Koteas sticking that camera thing down his pants. Hee hee. And Kevin Bacon is just laugh-out-loud funny; he's perfect for this part. I thought it was nice to see Steve Martin doing something not so family-friendly