ROOMMATES
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.3
U.S. Availability: wide release on 3/10/95 Running Length: 1:48 MPAA Classification: PG (Mature themes, language)
Starring: Peter Falk, D. B. Sweeney, Julianne Moore, Jan Rubes, Ellen Burstyn Director: Peter Yates Producers: Ted Field, Scott Kroopf, and Robert W. Cort Screenplay: Max Aple and Stephen Metcalfe Cinematography: Mike Southon Music: Elmer Bernstein Released by Hollywood Pictures
Interscope Communications, the production company behind such films as THE CUTTING EDGE and THE AIR UP THERE, has developed a reputation as a purveyor of feel-good, formula-reliant motion pictures. Interscope's latest, ROOMMATES, isn't much of a departure from their standard fare--it's basically a buddy movie/romantic comedy/family drama all rolled into one. Trying to cram so many stories into one-hundred eight minutes is an ambitious undertaking that results in sketchily-developed characters and half-realized relationships.
The most successful personality in ROOMMATES is Peter Falk's Rocky Holeczek, a grouchy old man with the "personality of a clenched fist." When we first meet Rocky in 1963 at his daughter-in-law's funeral, he's already seventy-six. To prevent his now-orphaned grandson Michael (Noah Fleiss) from being consigned to a church home, Rocky agrees to take him in. So the young boy grows into manhood during the '60s and '70s in Pittsburgh, under the watchful eye of his indefatigable guardian.
By 1983, Michael (now played by D. B. Sweeney) has matured into a twenty-five year old medical student, living and working in Columbus, Ohio. One day, he gets a call from his aunt--Rocky's apartment building is about to be torn down and he won't leave. So Michael makes the trip to Pittsburgh, and when he returns home shortly thereafter, he has a new roommate--his ninety-six year old grandfather.
Of course, Rocky has some old-fashioned ideals, as becomes apparent when Michael brings a girlfriend (Julianne Moore) home one night. There is friction between Rocky and Michael's friends, yet somehow everyone eventually comes to like the cantankerous old curmudgeon.
Falk is very convincing--and hardly recognizable--as Rocky. Makeup artist Greg Cannom has created old age applications that are far better than the norm, and the actor underneath all the latex imbues his body with a host of appropriate mannerisms. Would that D.B. Sweeney were as effective, since his single-note performance sucks the emotion out of several potentially-wrenching scenes.
The plotline, which largely follows a familiar course, manages a few unexpected acts of commission or omission. One "twist" that I spent the whole movie waiting for never materialized, and something that happened took me a little by surprise. In those instances, ROOMMATES seems to be struggling to escape the confines of its "comfortable" genre. Sadly, such bursts of freedom don't last long.
The persistent theme of ROOMMATES is that "reason and family [have] nothing to do with each other." Through the film's peaks and valleys, this message is always there, either being disseminated through subtle and effective touches, or repeated in absurdly heavyhanded dialogue. ROOMMATES certainly isn't as good as it might have been, but it represents a game try at a different perspective on life and love, and offers an opportunity (for those so inclined) to shed a few tears.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews