Review of Just the Ticket

This movie hardly qualifies as a stupid "romantic comedy" in the

Sandra Bullock/"Message in a bottle" cheesy vein. As somebody

else explained it very well in his comments, there is some

gritty urban edge in several scenes, sometimes even reminescent

of "Taxi Driver", like a subplot including a junkie or some

(very) cynical young catholic-school students. Garcia's

performance is good, proving that he's not just an expensive

suit with somebody in it (who said Richard Gere) - though

sometimes he overdid it by mimicking Al Pacino. Even the happy

ending isn't contrived. Lots of flair from director Richard

Wenk, who can even find a new angle for a melodramatic scene

(the death of Garcia's old friend is a model of effective

simplicity and therefore very touching) - it is obvious this

movie is a labor of love - and, all in all, a very good

surprise, unless you expect glossy "pretty woman" stuff or

Sandra Bullock-like shenanigans. Highly recommende