Reviews

If you're the kind that likes watching bad movies (for instance, if you enjoyed "The Postman" in only the most ironic sense), this is a keeper. A ridiculous script is only the start, and you also get Robert Patrick staying in the laxest insane asylum in the world (undercover in the guise of a patient, he seemingly has no problems at all finding access to the staff's private fax machines, computers, satellite dishes, etc.), develops a drippy camraderie with a fellow inmate that leads to some of the more strained, "heartfelt" moments of the film, and a ridiculous character by Acting's own Prince of Ever-Diminishing Returns, Malcolm McDowell. Reviewing this film makes me feel like I'm admonishing the dog for peeing on the rug. "For shame! Bad, bad, bad..."

I don't know if some others saw the same film I did, but what started off as a light-hearted, breezy middle-age romantic comedy quickly loses favor (three-quarter of the main characters cheat on their spouses and then expect us to care about them -- and then the lone fidelitous one, Diane Keaton, fares no better at the end for her sound judgment), and about 40 minutes into the picture the whole thing just derails into a shambles. The entire subplot involving Andie MacDowell and her eccentric parents is just embarrassing, and once you see the shot with Warren Beatty, Garry Shandling and Jenna Elfman headed to a Sun Valley Halloween party dressed as, respectively, a bear (with full suit), Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe, you know things went from sublime to absurd in a hurry. Worse yet, a lot of the strained humor isn't ironic, it's just poorly-written and conceived. It was encouraging to see Buck Henry's name as a co-writer, but in retrospect, when was the last time you saw a genuinely funny Buck Henry film -- The Graduate? Maybe if you like to see good ensemble casts wasted (i.e. if you think Ready To Wear is Altman's best film) then give it a shot, but I considered shutting it off halfway through, gave it the benefit of the doubt and watched the whole thing, and regretted throwing away 45 minutes of my life on the second half. It's so bad they even re-named it "City, Sex and Country" in Europe to try and attract the "Sex & The City" crowd. One star, regardless of however many stars they offer.