A lushly romantic Hollywood adaptation of the French hit 'Cousin Cousine'.
There are no surprises in the plot, so director Joel Schumacher opts for sweepingly lyrical music and making immensely nice, sympathetic characters out of dance master Ted Danson and legal secretary Isabella Rossellini, both of whose marital partners (Sean Young, William Petersen) bed anything in sight at the droop of an eyelid.
When Ted's dad (Lloyd Bridges) tells Isabella that his son is 'a failure in everything but life', you know Ted's a nice guy.
The central relationship is nicely developed over a period of months, leaving you in no doubt as to the outcome, but things do go on rather a long time, even if some balance is struck by the insertion of some funny wisecracks. 'Did you let it breathe? ' snaps Petersen to the waiter, receiving the (house) wine. 'Sir,' replies the waiter, taking his measure in an instant. 'I personally gave it mouth-to-mouth'.
Rossellini, looking amazingly like her mother Ingrid Bergman in certain shots, gives a skilfully diffident portrayal, but is given a run for her money by tall Sean Young, who manages to make Danson's wife both flighty and dislikeable, but full of personality and odd redeeming features too.
|
|