THE MATCHMAKER By Harvey Karten, Ph.D. Gramercy Picture/Polygram Film Entertainment Director: Mark Joffe Writers: Karen Janszen, Louis Nowra, Graham Linehan Cast: Janeane Garofalo, David O'Hara, Denis Leary, Jay O. Sanders, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Saffron Burrows, Milo O'Shea Do we all know that politicians often campaign not on the issues but on appeals to ethnic backgrounds? Do we also know that people living on remote islands become inbred and produce a number of individuals with eccentric behaviors? Of course we do. And do we realize that these two concepts can make for some entertaining stories and hilarious comedies? Granted. "The Matchmaker," which features the considerable comedic talents of Janeane Garofalo, exploits these very notions, but the picture in all its blarney does not elicit the required number of chuckles. A thoroughly derivative burlesque, "The Matchmaker" also highlights the considerable wit of Milo O'Shea, particularly in brief monologues he scatters throughout the production as though he were performing in a play by Sean O'Casey on the stage of Dublin's Abbey Theater. Neither actor can muster enough guffaws to compensate for the often vulgar commentary and broad caricature. The movie focuses on an unlikely romance between a cynical, confirmed bachelor played by Ms. Garofalo and a poor Irish man, played by David O'Hara, who lives in a 2x4 hotel room with his loyal dog, Murphy. If there is any reason to see "The Matchmaker" it would be for its precious shots of rural Ireland, specifically the town of Roundstone in County Galway and around the Aran Islands, which are remote enough to allow its unconventional inhabitants to speak in the lovely Gaelic tongue of times now past. In directing the film, Mark Joffe tries to milk bizarre traits from his supporting actors, who play out folkloric parts like the competition between matchmakers Dermot (Milo O'Shea) and Millie (Rosaleen Linehan). Joffe underscores quirky behavior of the town denizens like that of the genealogy mavin who masks his sophisticated computer software under a barrage of old books, magazines and newspapers to give his clientele the feeling that his services require heavy research. Marcy (Ms. Garafalo) is ordered to Ireland by her boss, Senator John McGlory (Jay O. Sanders), who is running behind in his re-election bid against a family-values candidate. To boost his campaign, he needs to show that he comes from a long line of Irish forebears, or at least that's the advice that comes from his less than ethical campaign manager, Nick (Denis Leary). Expecting to do her research and hurry back to Boston, Marcy is instead caught up in a small-town's annual Matchmaking Festival, where the cuddly matchmaker, Dermot, tries to hook her up with the local manpower. While many become smitten with her, it's obvious from the start that she will have her cynicism and smart-aleck exterior punctured. The man for the job is the not quite charismatic Sean (David O'Hara), who is renting the tiny room next door to her and whom she comes upon accidentally as he is taking a bath in her tub--his dog Murphy standing guard. Her search for Senator McGlory's roots becomes the pretext for uncovering every aspect of local folklore, including a singing contest, which she is chosen to judge; a solo dance; a fight or two in the local pub; but most of all, "The Matchmaker" gives Ms. Garofalo the opportunity for one- liners, for camera mugging which captures her every wide- eyed and rolling-eyes expression, and for her ultimate giving in to the transcendent mandate of nature that inexorably pushes the genders together. Garofalo, one of our smartest and most huggable comics, does not get the chance to equal her role in "The Truth About Cats and Dogs," but there's enough here for her to provide a modicum of entertainment. The local gentry, though, are unmercifully stereotyped in ways that are unfunny, a particular sad hatchet job being done on one of the older folks, a misogynist who ultimately warms up in his Spartan quarters and offers Marcy a cappuccino. The story winds up with all the knots tied a tad too neatly, the campaign manager getting his contrived comeuppance and the good people finding their lifetime partners just before the curtain closes. Rated PG-13. Running Time: 100 minutes. (C) 1997 Harvey Karten
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