Review: Illuminata
Starring: John Turturro, Katherine Borowitz, Rufus Sewell.
Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Ben Gazzara,
Beverly D'Angelo, Bill Irwin
Directed by: John Turturro
Review by: Joy Wyse, the SILVER Screen Critic
Illuminata is especially fun if you've ever spent any time around actors. The ones portrayed here are almost as crazy as most of the real performers that I know.
John Turturro portrays the playwright, Tuccio, who will go to any extremes to see his `Illuminata' performed on stage. He has written it for the love of his life, Rachel (Borowitz), a `dedicated' actress. Ben Gazzara is wasted as her father, the aging actor who plays all of the `old' roles.
When an actor collapses onstage Tuccio takes the opportunity to announce that his play will be performed the following night, much to the chagrin of Beverly D'Angelo and her husband, the theater owners who allow the little-rehearsed play to take place. This enables Rufus Sewell, a self-proclaimed `star' to finally get his chance to prove it.
But, resident critic Bevalaqua (Walken) doesn't like the play and pans everyone in it, except for Marco (Irwin) whom he desires. The play is cancelled. As we follow the sexual escapades of almost everyone in the cast it becomes quite bawdy. Whether they are using sex to try and get the play resumed, or if they simply have uncontrollable urges, all of them partake in various affairs of the heart, the funniest of which is the Walken-Irwin encounter. Susan Sarandon perfectly portrays a self-centered star. When Tuccio accuses her of putting on an act, she replies that her entire life is an act. When she wakes in the morning and looks in the mirror, she acts, etc. Strange as it may seem, Beverly D'Angelo is the only female that I recall who didn't do a topless scene, although she did do her share of romping. Even ro-bust Aida Turturro has a great time of presenting her huge breasts to her willing partner. For the most part, this movie simply shows a self-indulgent Turturro and some of his friends getting together for a little fun. It's not that offensive, and it's a fairly true look at back stage life. I might watch it again. I give it a C+.
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