** SWEETHEARTS (1996) ** Starring Janeane Garofalo, Mitch Rouse ** IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120256
SWEETHEARTS is a direct-to-video film that aspires to be a tragic romantic comedy that comes across like a film student's first year project. Garofalo gets to reprise her role as the date from hell (see BYE BYE LOVE, 1995) as Jasmine, who has dealt with a lifetime of having bipolar depression. Arliss (Rouse) gets sucked into Jasmine's crazy world for one brief, dark evening.
And I do mean dark. First, the comedy is quickly lost as the story gets more involved with Jasmine's mental disorder and Arliss' desire to rescue her. Jasmine has decided to go on one last date before attempting suicide to end her misery, and Arliss is the lucky date. Arliss' character is never completely realized; Arliss spends nearly the entire movie trying to rescue Jasmine. While understandable, it's not very captivating. Perhaps the story would have been stronger if, over the course of the evening, Arliss comes to understand the extent of her disorder better (which was continually referred to throughout the movie as 'bipolar manic depression,' which incorrectly mixes two terms for the same disorder) and decides to go along with her decision, supporting her despite his inner pain from liking her. Instead, the film leaves the viewer with no real insight into the human experience.
Second, the VHS format of the movie looks like it was shot in candlelight-the film is literally dark. Many of the scenes were pools of red and black colors that spoke. Finally, several scenes featuring the use of guns are--probably unintentionally--heavier than they were meant to be, given the recent spree of murder-suicides in the U.S.
However, the film represents an interesting departure from the usual romantic comedy. For Garofalo fans, or fans of Margaret Cho or Bobcat Goldthwait, it's a must-see chance to see these comedians in an unusual project. Cho steals many of her scenes, but Goldthwait isn't given many opportunities to use his comedic talent.
// Drew D. Mann, drudmann@nyx.net // Urbana, IL, USA // "Reviewing the videos less rented"
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