ADDICTED TO LOVE
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
**1/2 (out of ****)
Sam and Maggie start off their relationship on an odd note. Hiding out in a tumbling down building opposite their former lovers' apartment; they watch visions projected on a whitewashed wall and listen to their orgasms blasting out of loudspeakers while plotting their demise.
Well, it may not be much more bizarre than the beginning of many relationships, but this one features Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan not your best friend and new paramour.
Astronomer Sam (Broderick) is shocked when he receives a Dear John letter from long-time love Linda (Kelly Preston) who is far away in New York for a two-month teaching workshop. Stunned, he hops the first plane to the Big Apple and tracks her down by going from hotel to hotel. (Don't try this at home kids, it's a little more difficult in real life.)
Discovering that she has shacked up with French chef Anton (Tcheky Karyo), Sam breaks into the abandoned tenement across the street and sets up his personal observatory. Constructing the world's best camera obscura, he watches their comings and goings and takes copious notes hoping to scientifically predict their breakup.
His dedicated study is interrupted by breaking glass and the entry of leather-clad motorcycle-riding babe Maggie (Ryan). She isn't interested in waiting around so that he can reclaim her former sweetheart as Sam is doing. Maggie wants to inflict pain on the man who dumped her. Revenge is her motive.
Bugging the apartment, she brings sound to Sam's pictures and adds artistic passion to his scientific rationality. Their spy station complete, they are content for a while to be voyeurs. Then they slip into a more active mode; plotting to destroy the relationship, bugging (in another sense) Anton's restaurant, getting it shut down and virtually destroying his life.
All along, as is inevitable, Sam and Maggie fall in love despite their best efforts not to. Bad Girl Maggie The Cat is just the person to wake Sam up and he brings hope to her life.
The stars are among the most appealing people working in films today. >From a man's point of view, Meg Ryan is beautiful and overtly sexual without having the typical Hollywood overly-endowed body by "Playboy" and Broderick is the guy you'd like to have as a best buddy. Occasionally there's some very heavy chemistry between them, but sometimes it is strangely lacking.
Ryan's role is a stretch for her from her usual romantic roles ("When Harry Met Sally") but she's up to the task. Maggie is out for blood and although sensuous in a severe way, she's no naive Sally. Broderick is his usual nice guy, but even he shows a talent for the sadistic.
There are several dazzling visuals, many of which involve the projected images as Sam and Maggie stand with moving pictures of their past significant others covering their bodies. In one particularly striking moment, the astronomer is painting the wall white as parts of Linda's likeness begin to sparkle with vitality.
Preston's character is nothing more than a place-holder for the plot, but Karyo's is a different matter. For the first half of the film, he is not much more, but when the movie shifts into the farce mode, he becomes the center of attention.
It is this French farce component that is the weak point of the film. If it is true that the French worship Jerry Lewis, then this section is for them. Not being a huge Lewis-imitator fan, the bumblings around in a body cast scenes fall flat for me.
It's damning with faint praise to say that, for all of its darkness, this is one of the best romantic comedies recently. It's worth a watch, but not as memorable a one as it could have been.
[This appeared in the 6/6/97 issue of the "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ]
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