PAPERBACK ROMANCE (aka LUCKY BREAK)
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
Australia, 1994 U.S. Release Date: 8/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:27 MPAA Classification: R (Sexual situations, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Gia Carides, Anthony LaPaglia, Rebecca Gibney, Sioban Tuke,
Jacek Koman
Director: Ben Lewin
Producer: Bob Weis
Screenplay: Ben Lewin
Cinematography: Vincent Monton
Music: Paul Grabowski
U.S. Distributor: The Samuel Goldwyn Company
The phrase "paperback romance" generates all sorts of vivid images: lusty, well-endowed women; men with "ruggedly handsome features" and "well-chiseled muscles"; exotic locations; and, most importantly, plenty of steamy sex. The purple prose of these so-called bodice-rippers is appreciated and admired by millions, yet, by its very nature, it's ripe for the kind of satire evident in PAPERBACK ROMANCE. However, not wanting to isolate an important element of its audience, the film goes for a gentle parody rather than something more vicious. Like PULP FICTION's Quentin Tarantino, writer/director Ben Lewin is more interested in having a little over-the-top fun within the genre than blatantly mocking it.
As such, PAPERBACK ROMANCE can be considered a legitimate romantic comedy, although it's a little too quirky to be lumped in with most of the run-of-the-mill entries. The summer of 1997 has produced three such offbeat offerings -- PAPERBACK ROMANCE arrives in the wake of ADDICTED TO LOVE and MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING, both of which took roads less traveled. Of course, it's worth noting that PAPERBACK ROMANCE isn't really a 1997 movie (although that's when it's being released in the United States). In fact, it's three years old, having sat on The Samuel Goldwyn Company's shelves while the distributor went through bankruptcy proceedings.
Our heroine is Sophie (played by the delightful Gia Carides), an author of romance novels. She's a dreamer who takes refuge in her writing; since her love life is barren, she kisses through her characters. One day at a library, as Sophie is reading aloud while she pens an erotic passage, her voice and words captivate Eddie (Anthony LaPaglia), a high-stakes jewel dealer who is browsing nearby. He is so taken with Sophie's beauty and charm that he asks her out on the spot, but she refuses. A childhood victim of polio, Sophie cannot walk without a leg brace, and she doesn't want Eddie to see her disability. He leaves, convinced that she's the perfect woman. (Why? Because she rejected him.)
For Sophie, out of sight does not mean out of mind. Unable to dismiss Eddie from her thoughts, she finds out where he works, then goes to spy on him, watching him with his fiancee, Gloria (Rebecca Gibney). When she's afraid that Eddie is about to notice her, brace and all, Sophie hurries to get out of sight. In the process, she takes a nasty spill and breaks her leg. Now, with her stricken limb in a cast, she can pretend that she's normal and that the injury is the result of a skiing accident. Freed from her fear that Eddie will reject her because she's disabled, she is able to pursue a relationship with him -- at least temporarily.
The two leads, Australians Gia Carides and Anthony LaPaglia, are the film's most familiar faces. Carides has appeared in STRICTLY BALLROOM (as Scott's original partner) and BAD COMPANY. LaPaglia, despite his Australian birth, is best known for his performances as tough Italian American characters, such as Mick in BULLETPROOF HEART and Barry Muldano in THE CLIENT. Together, these two generate a palpable chemistry -- not surprising, since they're a real-life couple. Of the pair, Carides has the best screen presence, and her portrayal of Sophie manages to find the right mix of playfulness and wistful yearning. We like her and root for her to find love, but we never pity her.
Film maker Ben Lewin apparently likes films that are somewhat non- traditional -- his previous effort was the odd THE FAVOUR, THE WATCH, AND THE VERY BIG FISH. With PAPERBACK ROMANCE, one could argue that he doesn't go far enough in his satirical approach, choosing instead to play up the romantic angle. But there are a few unexpected twists, including a subplot involving cops, robbers, and love with a twinge of Dostoevsky. Some of the best sequences, however, are the re-creations of steamy passages from Sophie's writing. Ripe with overblown romantic cliches (crashing waves, orchestral music rising to a crescendo, and lots of firelight-illuminated naked flesh), these scenes are knowing, clever, and amusing.
The tone of PAPERBACK ROMANCE is erratic; you can be laughing one minute and wincing the next. The film's approach careens wildly from low-key to over-the-top, without much of a break in between. It's rather disconcerting to go from a relatively pleasant erotic interlude to a scene where someone is screaming while blood spills all over. And, on at least two occasions, the slapstick, while admittedly funny in a sophomoric way, is so overblown that it seems out of place. In general, however, PAPERBACK ROMANCE manages to successfully navigate such choppy waters, and the result is a pleasant, if uneven, hour and a half.
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net
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