Lost & Found (1999)
a review by Christian Pyle
With "Lost & Found," David Spade steps onto the center of the stage. In his previous film work, he's either played second fiddle to another comic ("Black Sheep," "Tommy Boy," "Senseless") or filled a supporting role ("PCU," "8 Heads in a Duffel Bag"). So, "Lost & Found" is a test of Spade's mettle as a comic actor; if he passes at all, it's barely.
"Lost & Found" is also Spade's debut as a romantic lead. He plays Dylan Ramsey, a restaurateur who's just broken up with his stripper girlfriend. He becomes smitten with his new neighbor, French cellist Lila Dubois (Sophie Marceau). In an attempt to trick Lila into spending time with him, Dylan kidnaps her dog, Jack. He plans to spend the day walking around the neighborhood with Lila looking for Jack, then to "find" the dog and be her hero. The plan becomes complicated when Jack steals a diamond ring that Dylan is holding for his best friend and business partner (Mitchell Whitfield). So, Jack has to remain "lost" until the ring reappears. Enter Rene (Patrick Bruel), Lila's rich ex-fiance, who's come to win her back. . . . And hilarity ensues.
The plot is (forgive the pun) doggedly predictable. Boy meets girl, boy lies to girl, girl falls for boy as boy tries to cover up lie, girl finds out about the lie, boy is chastened, girl forgives boy. A rigidly formulaic film like this depends on its details--the gags, the characters--to work. "Lost & Found" is funny in spots; the trouble for Spade is that they're the wrong spots. As a charming romantic lead, he's a washout. Spade is funniest when he's a malicious elf. His funniest scenes are ones where he is cruel, verbally and physically, to others, particularly the dog. (If Lila knew everything Dylan did to Jack, we'd never get to "girl forgives boy"). But, the callousness that makes him funny in the abusive scenes also works against him in scenes where he's trying to be sweet and sensitive.
That conflict between cruelty and kindness pervades the movie. The script is funny but uneven; it has jokes which are very crude (some involving dogshit) and others which are endearing. People impressed by one sort of humor will probably be put off by the other. None of the three screenwriters (James B. Cook, Marc Meeks, and Spade) has had a screenwriting credit before. They could have used an experienced editor.
Just what is Sophie Marceau doing in this movie anyway? She became known on this side of the Atlantic playing the princess in "Braveheart." Her upcoming films include the new Bond movie ("The World Is Not Enough") and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She has way too much class to be in this movie (although it is fun to see her clowning around during the end credits).
The rest of the cast is a bizarre mix. Artie Lange plays Wally, Dylan's dimwitted sidekick. Wally has the crudest of the crude scenes, and "Lost & Found" would be much more pleasant to watch if he were edited out entirely. (Besides, the inclusion of the rotund Lange seems a vain attempt to replace Spade's late partner, Chris Farley.) Dylan's landlady (Estelle Harris of "Seinfeld") plays poker with a group of lusty, beer-swilling broads (including Rose Marie of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and Marla Gibbs of "The Jeffersons"). Jon Lovitz has a cameo as a "dog whisperer," and Martin Sheen (whatever happened to his career? or his dignity?) is the banker that Dylan has to impress to get a loan for his restaurant.
Grade: D
© 1999 Christian L. Pyle
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