THAT OLD FEELING 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1997 Timothy Voon
Cast: Bette Midler, Dennis Farina, Paula Marshall, Danny Nucci, Gail O'Grady, David Rasche, Jamie Denton Director: Carl Reiner Screenplay: Leslie Dixon
A warning. The review you are about to read will feature mood swings not too dissimilar to those expressed by Midler and cast throughout this laborious labour of love (the movie).
HATE: is the basis. A failed marriage, divorce and a illegitimate daughter (Marshall) fourteen years ago. The players. The author father (Farina) who slept with the interior decorator before marrying her. The movie star mother (Midler) who slept with the marriage counsellor before marrying him. HAPPINESS: when newlyweds. The illegitimate daughter is to wed a promising young congress man. This is soon followed by FEAR: when she has to invite her parents to the wedding. ANGER: at a photographer who keeps taking 'fat pictures' of the movie star mother. JEALOUSY: when the movie star mother keeps making 'liposuction' jokes about the interior decorator with much tit-a-tat. RAGE: as the bride's parents attempt to strangle each other at the wedding reception. LUST: when car-rocking sex occurs between the bride's parents outside the reception. DISMAY: when the adulterous pair run off with each other, leaving the interior decorator and marriage counsellor to sulk. This is followed by more LUST, HATE, ANGER, REJECTION, GUILT, LUST, HATE, LUST, LUST, RAGE, RAGE, LUST, HATE, LUST, HATE, RAGE, RAGE - Hey are you all beginning to feel the beat of the movie?
This movie is an overload of confusing, schizophrenic emotions. The audience is not allowed to settle into any particular mood or feel for the movie, because of the tumulus over the top, hysterical shift of emotions displayed between Midler and Farino. They are either persistently yelling at each other or kissing each other; and the scary thing is that you never now when the mood is going to swing from RAGE to LUST. If the director Carl Reiner was intending to make the movie unpredictable with these overly-exaggerated personifications of character, he has missed the plot, and achieved the unthinkable by making his characters REPREHENSIBLE.
I am a great fan of Midler's work, but her character in this movie is purely loud, without self-control. It is also partly the fault of the script which lacks true witty dialogue. I don't know much about Farina, but it is suffice to say he's a loud Italian. However, some charm and redemption was brought to this movie by the petite, delightful performance of Paula Marshall as the confused daughter. I mean who wouldn't be confused after witnessing your parents display such ABHORRENT shifts of temperament.
So which of these overused 'Old Feelings' could this movie possibly be referring to? Could it possibly be LOVE? Well if memory serves correctly - this is the one feeling mercifully forgotten by the moronic handlings of director, cast and crew involved with this pathetic fiasco of emotions. If you failed to get the 'feeling' of my words, I was attempting to express great DISPLEASURE.
Comment: Air these negative, bottled up feelings somewhere else.
Feeling Scale: 0% *PAINFUL* / Indifference / Love 100%
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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