THE FISHER KING
A film review by Sarah M. Elkins
Copyright 1991 Sarah M. Elkins
THE FISHER KING: A wild and original, warm, funny, bitter, frightening, and human tale which rises way above its "redemption" genre.
Plot kickoff: I think it would be confusing and misleading to try to describe this plot other than as a function of the characters, besides which this is really a movie which shouldn't be "spoiled."
Characters/acting: Jeff Bridges plays Jack, a cold, cynical talk show DJ trying to put his life back together after one of his shows backfires. Mercedes ?, the rebel from TOTAL RECALL, shows she can really act as his girlfriend, bemused by his friendship with a homeless man, Perry, played by Robin Williams. Williams turns in his best performance yet, surpassing his performance in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP (my favorite performance of his until this movie). Perry believes that the Holy Grail is hidden in a millionaire's condo in Manhattan. Perry is also in love with a mousy woman who works at a book publisher's, who is played charmingly by Amanda Plummer, the woman who played the fey mute girl in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP. All four of the main performers, and a few minor ones as well, turn in flawless, heartbreaking and uplifting performances.
Cinematography/FX: The believable blending of fantasy with everyday life is aided by the excellent cinematography, which seems dreamlike and realistic at the same time. Several scenes should definitely be caught on the large screen. I *loved* the Chinese restaurant sequence.
Score: If you just can't get enough of "I Love New York In June" this is the score for you. Seriously, the score is a mix of background music and pop radio, with a few odds and ends. Not a score I'd buy, but it meshes well with the movie.
Violence/language: Quite violent at times, mostly by suggestion, but there is some gore. This is a movie which takes a serious look at the homeless (though that's not the focus of the movie), and they get treated badly. Profanity, slurs mostly uttered by bad guys.
Skin/situations: Foreplay, some frank talk about sex.
Analysis: I would say the one error is the pacing, which is too slow in the beginning, and too fast near the end to make certain plot twists completely acceptable, but is just right for most of the movie. Still, that was a flaw my mind churned up after, not during, the movie. I'd like to catch it again sometime to catch the lines I missed when the audience was laughing at the previous lines. The little touches of throwaway lines and background action add a richness to this movie which is rare. Highly recommended.
-Sarah elkins.wbst129@xerox.com
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