Even though I saw this movie some 5-6 years back it will always stick in my mind as one of the most droll films I've ever watched ... I was watching this with someone and she nudged me ... "Let's go to the next Cine (we were in a cinema complex) ... I responded:"No, wait, maybe the movie will eventually get started ... " Yeah RIGHT!!! heheheheeee ... and the last scene really took the cake ... yes the motorbike scene ... PATHETIC!!! sometimes I wonder how these movies make it onto the big screen ... heheheheheheeee ... why Donald Sutherland took this role is beyond comprehension ...
7 Reviews
Definitely the age of ignorance.
mark.waltz7 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Elder abuse or actor abuse, or both? Donald Sutherland is more ham here than Porky Pig, shamelessly overplaying the pitiful character of an oversexed businessman, far too busy caring about the escapades he's having underneath his Wurlitzer organ while his heartbroken wife, Lolita Davidovich, is busy right underneath it having a heart attack preparing to die. She comes back as her spirit, and he begins to fall in love with her all over again, while son Brendan Fraser, comes to terms with the fact that his mother's dead and dad wants him to remain around so they can go into business together building up a chain of cheap storage units.
The symbolism goes overboard (and so will the copy of this movie into my trash compacter) in a black comedy that has no reason for being. It's a waste of the talents of Sally Kellerman as an eccentric glamour queen acquaintance of Sutherland's and Linda Hunt as another local, as well as Julie Delpy as Fraser's love interest. I've never experienced such ugliness wrapped up with so many talents, and it's one of the few times where I absolutely despised everything about Sutherland as both his character and for his self-indulgent performance. This tries to be witty and original, but the result is completely insufferable. I never ever want to hear Sutherlajf sing again.
The symbolism goes overboard (and so will the copy of this movie into my trash compacter) in a black comedy that has no reason for being. It's a waste of the talents of Sally Kellerman as an eccentric glamour queen acquaintance of Sutherland's and Linda Hunt as another local, as well as Julie Delpy as Fraser's love interest. I've never experienced such ugliness wrapped up with so many talents, and it's one of the few times where I absolutely despised everything about Sutherland as both his character and for his self-indulgent performance. This tries to be witty and original, but the result is completely insufferable. I never ever want to hear Sutherlajf sing again.
Character piece without interesting characters
moonspinner5521 June 2017
U.S.-German co-production about the stylish owner of an ramshackle storage facility in Los Angeles and his eccentric staff and clientele. Director and co-writer Percy Adlon, who also served as associate producer, could have used some extra help here; everything has been scaled so broadly (beginning the overacting German woman in the first scene) that one immediately begins to seek some natural light relief or a conversation that holds a modicum of truth. As the devil-may-care owner in love with Los Angeles and the ladies, Donald Sutherland (dressed like an old-time silver fox) has a few nice bits but certainly not enough; it simply isn't there in the writing. There's nothing wrong with character portraits or in putting the emphasis on people over plot, but first the writers needed to come up with some fascinating individuals for their scenario. This one doesn't have them. * from ****
Delightful bit of whimsy!
g.a.tynes1 January 2001
Found this sleeper on the video shelf a couple of years ago and loved it. Saw it again recently and still enjoyed it. An eccentric film, not for your average vegetable brained young movie viewer. There is no action, no sex (well, not really), just an absorbing story that rolls out in a leisurely fashion, gradually pulling the viewer into this unique locale. Sutherland, Davidovitch and even Kellerman are wonderful. Sutherland must have been delighted to find this role and he made the most of it. Again, not for everyone, but an intriguing trip into a world most of us will never know, but might like to.
Delightful mostly
rieaz31 May 2022
The Sr. Mr. Younger is a basic dirty old man trapped in his own little world and I didn't like his otherwise charming character in that sense. His lovely little wife worked very hard and didn't deserve the treatment he dealt out.
But overall, the movie was good, with an interesting turn of events. I did like it.
The whole movie seems to have a yellowish cast to the film for some reason. In a few scenes the people's teeth were as yellow as mustard. That kind of bugged me.
But whoever said it was boring has no sense of whimsy. I feel sorry for them.
But overall, the movie was good, with an interesting turn of events. I did like it.
The whole movie seems to have a yellowish cast to the film for some reason. In a few scenes the people's teeth were as yellow as mustard. That kind of bugged me.
But whoever said it was boring has no sense of whimsy. I feel sorry for them.
A gem of a film and a wonderful song
jrodman-417 February 2008
Wonderfully acted, an interesting story, and a song that is so good (and, dare I say, commercial?) that it's surprising it hasn't been better discovered along with classic show tunes. It's not the "Show Me Your Face" that appears in a Google search; it's an original song, with music by Bob Telson (also did Baghdad Cafe) and clever lyrics by Lee Breuer. One real treat is Donald Sutherland's singing of this love ballad. Another nice aspect is that it is a his-and-her song, which makes for two person performance in the same way as "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Such songs are pretty rare and valuable. And yes, I'm writing mostly about the song and not the movie - that's because while I enjoyed the movie (a random find on a dusty shelf in a video store), I loved the song to the point of transcribing the lyrics and creating a lead sheet for it.
D#$& good movie!. The critics are crazy!
garyhoney19846 March 2022
I don't care what some nonchalant critic thought of this movie. It was very good and it was very clean cut. Even without the hidden and over-inflated sex scene which showed nothing at all other than a comical attribute the movie shined as something I would take my kids to go see. It's a movie about life and sometimes this shix hat happens in life. Moving and touching is how I would describe it. Because it didn't have the hallmarks of common Hollywood crap I guess that nobody liked it.
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