Michael (1996) John Travolta, Andie Mac Dowell, William Hurt, Robert Pastorelli, Bob Hoskins, Jean Stapleton, Teri Garr, Wally Ward, Joey Lauren Adams, Carla Gugino, Tom Hodges, Wallace Langham. Directed by Nora Ephron. Rated PG, *** stars (out of ***** stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott www.nuvo-online.com/film/
John Travolta makes his first appearance as the archangel Michael wearing nothing but boxer shorts. The eyes focus on his large belly as he tromps to the kitchen, cigarette in hand, in search of a beer. Asked how he went about gaining weight for the role, Travolta explained that he didn't. He's willing to try and lose weight for a movie, but never gain it. He just happened to be fat when it came time to make this film. That simple honesty is part of John Travolta's charm, and part of the charm of "Michael," Nora Ephron's sweet romantic comedy.
In "Michael", Chicago-based tabloid reporters William Hurt, Robert Pastorelli, and Andie MacDowell travel to Iowa to get the story on an alleged angel. There they meet Jean Stapleton, the crusty owner of a run- down motel, and her only tenant, a self-indulgent slob with very real wings. The stunned trio cut a deal with Michael - - he'll go with them and allow himself to be photographed once they arrive, but only if they make the trip to Chicago by car (he's anxious to see the world's largest ball of twine and other tourist attractions). And so the road trip begins.
The structure and details of "Michael" seem terminally cute on paper. Hurt is a world weary cynic, MacDowell is deadly earnest, Pastorelli is funny and a bit slow. Care to guess which characters will fall in love? The reporters are suspicious of their self-indulgent homily-spouting charge. Will they come to believe that Michael is really an angel and not just a genetic freak? Will they come to believe in his message of wonder? Don't think to hard on these questions.
The charm in "Michael" lies not in the cliched story, but in the performances of the powerhouse cast. William Hurt is a phenomenal actor whose ability to convey intelligence, directness and dry, acerbic line readings is unmatched. What other actor could deliver a stilted line like "Don't say this was a mistake, I couldn't bear it" and make it sound real? Andie MacDowell has made a career of being a walking contradiction. She is an achingly beautiful woman who manages to somehow also look like "just plain folks." She appears bright and naive at the same time. MacDowell uses her skills to great effect as a reporter who is also an aspiring country songwriter, enduring much teasing from Hurt over her homespun lyrics. In one magical scene, she sings her "work in progress" at a honky-tonk bar. Her voice and facial expressions as she delivers the song's clunky, but true, lyrics provide one of the most graceful and elegant moments in the movie. And Pastorelli, "Eldon" from "Murphy Brown, " does a fine job as a crusty innocent, although his character is tragically underused.
And then there's John Travolta, an amazing actor. Since his comeback in "Pulp Fiction," Travolta has selected his roles in an astute and audacious fashion. In "Michael," he gives one of his most winsome performances yet. After casting Lucifer out of Heaven, Michael has came to Earth many times. This is his last visit ("they only let you come down so many times") and he intends to wring every drop of hedonistic pleasure from it. In addition to his passion for food, drink and cigarettes, Michael loves women. His touch is magical, and his scent acts as an aphrodisiac (MacDowell explains, "He smells like cookies. It gets stronger when he's in heat".) Whether delivering greeting card wisdom or engaging in battle, Travolta makes the character work by conveying a great sense of self-comfort. Totally at peace with himself, he holds court effortlessly and effectively. When he urges the others to "listen to the Earth," his inflection makes the great truth behind the statement quite clear. Travolta's keen sense of wonder is contagious. Despite the cheesy plot and dialogue that ranges from inspired to insipid, the extraordinary performances by Travolta and company leave the audience feeling happy and very much alive.
Copyright 1997, Ed Johnson-Ott
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