Cher captivates the movie screen! She should undertake at least one project every other year for the rest of her life! Cher is such a joy to watch perform as an actor! Her personality electrifies!
I disagree with Leonard Maltin's assessment that this movie screen play written by it's original stage play writer, Chazz Palminteri, who also plays the movie role of "Tony" the Mafia-Mob hit-man, is a disappointment which "simply doesn't work on film, despite good performances." It does not do a movie justice to compare it with a stage play! For one, more people will see a movie in a century of time than see a limited run stage play!
This film is much better than the usual choppy, disorganized, and fluff movies that are turned out "a dime a dozen" by the movie industry. This film basically captures two performers in intense and engaging dialog which runs completely throughout the film. No special effects or special movie sounds are needed to keep the viewers' attention.
Cher and Palminteri blend well together. There is long and thoughtful dialog spoken in this film. All to the credit of writer Palminteri. Cher proves her professional merit and delivers her character's emotional personality with a soft sadness that is obvious when a 20 year marriage falls apart because of infidelity, adultery, and neurotic behavior. Yes, Cher has that twinkle in her eye and smile which tricks one to thinking this is some sort of black-comedy. The subject matter is not funny! It is just Cher being Cher! Think back to her "VAMP" comedy routine on the old Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Cher can't help it because she is so lovable that it just is there and you have to accept it!
I almost didn't recognize the professional actor Ryan O'Neal (Jack). He has gotten older when compared to his boyish look of his films from years past. Still, he delivers a quality performance because he is a quality actor! Of course he plays a louse of a husband who is cheating on his wife and hires Tony to kill Margaret (Cher). However, the ending is not what one would suspect from watching countless movies with the same basic plot of "husband hires hit-man to kill wife." Mr. Palminteri turns the tables in his writing! Well done.
Director Paul Mazursky also acts as Tony's psychiatrist. He does his therapy over the phone while the interaction between Cher and Palminteri is proceeding. Good character portrayal of a "Shrink" with his own problems.
Of course, this is what one calls a "New York Story." It is a "common tale" of wealthy New York lifestyles, stories often not apparent in Bangor, Maine, Mt. Hebo, Oregon, or Gainesville, Florida. One would expect these troubled lives in places like Manhattan and East Hampton, New York. Wherever the wealthy reside you get the notion that even with all their money you cannot be happy!
The film also makes good use of some flashback sequences which help to explain the actor's troubled past life. Well done cinematography.
One of the producers is Robert De Niro.
I really liked this film because of it's quality acting, it's method of telling the story, and the engaging dialog written for the characters and well-performed by the stars. There should be more movies with dialog like this instead of the one or two line phrases usually being uttered in many of today's "hit" movies.
Catch this movie on a TV cable channel or rent the video. Remember, it's a drama not a comedy so don't look for chuckles or canned laughter!
I rate this film a solid "9". Give us more CHER!
I disagree with Leonard Maltin's assessment that this movie screen play written by it's original stage play writer, Chazz Palminteri, who also plays the movie role of "Tony" the Mafia-Mob hit-man, is a disappointment which "simply doesn't work on film, despite good performances." It does not do a movie justice to compare it with a stage play! For one, more people will see a movie in a century of time than see a limited run stage play!
This film is much better than the usual choppy, disorganized, and fluff movies that are turned out "a dime a dozen" by the movie industry. This film basically captures two performers in intense and engaging dialog which runs completely throughout the film. No special effects or special movie sounds are needed to keep the viewers' attention.
Cher and Palminteri blend well together. There is long and thoughtful dialog spoken in this film. All to the credit of writer Palminteri. Cher proves her professional merit and delivers her character's emotional personality with a soft sadness that is obvious when a 20 year marriage falls apart because of infidelity, adultery, and neurotic behavior. Yes, Cher has that twinkle in her eye and smile which tricks one to thinking this is some sort of black-comedy. The subject matter is not funny! It is just Cher being Cher! Think back to her "VAMP" comedy routine on the old Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Cher can't help it because she is so lovable that it just is there and you have to accept it!
I almost didn't recognize the professional actor Ryan O'Neal (Jack). He has gotten older when compared to his boyish look of his films from years past. Still, he delivers a quality performance because he is a quality actor! Of course he plays a louse of a husband who is cheating on his wife and hires Tony to kill Margaret (Cher). However, the ending is not what one would suspect from watching countless movies with the same basic plot of "husband hires hit-man to kill wife." Mr. Palminteri turns the tables in his writing! Well done.
Director Paul Mazursky also acts as Tony's psychiatrist. He does his therapy over the phone while the interaction between Cher and Palminteri is proceeding. Good character portrayal of a "Shrink" with his own problems.
Of course, this is what one calls a "New York Story." It is a "common tale" of wealthy New York lifestyles, stories often not apparent in Bangor, Maine, Mt. Hebo, Oregon, or Gainesville, Florida. One would expect these troubled lives in places like Manhattan and East Hampton, New York. Wherever the wealthy reside you get the notion that even with all their money you cannot be happy!
The film also makes good use of some flashback sequences which help to explain the actor's troubled past life. Well done cinematography.
One of the producers is Robert De Niro.
I really liked this film because of it's quality acting, it's method of telling the story, and the engaging dialog written for the characters and well-performed by the stars. There should be more movies with dialog like this instead of the one or two line phrases usually being uttered in many of today's "hit" movies.
Catch this movie on a TV cable channel or rent the video. Remember, it's a drama not a comedy so don't look for chuckles or canned laughter!
I rate this film a solid "9". Give us more CHER!