Living in location with good climate is in most cases a blessing, but under some circumstances can be a curse. The latter is what happens to protagonist of L.A. Story, 1991 romantic comedy directed by Mick Jackson. Harris K. Telemacher (played by Steve Martin) is weather presenter for local television station in Los Angeles. Since the weather is almost always sunny, Telemacher is forced to make it look interesting with clown-like antics which he finds humiliating and unworthy of his university degree and intellectual ambitions. He doesn’t fare much better in private and soon discovers that his long-time girlfriend Trudi (played by Marilu Henner) has been cheating him with his own agent. Chance encounter with Sara McDowell (played by Victoria Tennant), journalist who came from London to write about Los Angeles, leads to infatuation. Another, more bizarre, encounter happens when street sign begins to communicate with him and give him romantic advice. His attempt to pursue Sara is complicated when young, free-spirited and attractive clothes saleswoman SanDeE (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) gets his attention, while Sara tries to rekindle romance with her ex husband Roland (played by Richard E. Grant).
L.A. Story can be best described as romantic comedy camouflaged as pretentious art film. Apart from starring, Steve Martin also wrote screenplay, very much inspired by his experiences in Los Angeles. Many critics have interpreted L.A. Story as Martin’s love letter to the city and attempt to do for Los Angeles what Woody Allens’s films did for New York. In any case, Martin applies a lot of observational humour, especially in the beginning, creating surreal scenes that comment on city’s obsession with physical beauty and material wealth, as well as some of the less pleasant aspects of the living there, like problems with traffic. Martin also adds a lot of references to the works of William Shakespeare, but some of those jokes don’t work, like the parody of famous Hamlet scene in which Rick Moranis (in uncredited cameo) appears as cockney gravedigger. Martin as an actor is much more effective and confidently plays character frustrated with middle age and dead-end career, but also willing to give his romantic and intellectual inklings another chance. Victoria Tennant, who was at the time Martin’s wife in real life, is solid but not too impressive. She gets overshadowed by Sarah Jessica Parker who invest much more energy, talent and charm into character of ditzy but unashamedly hedonistic girl and plays one of the sexiest roles of her entire career. British Mick Jackson directs film in competent way, keeping it within suitable running time of hour and half and, at least not until shortly before the end, not allowing Hollywood conventions and cliches to comprromise Martin’s quirky vision. L.A. Story had decent box office success and mostly positive reviews. Despite some of the jokes being too dated and slightly too surreal, today’s viewers are likely to enjoy this film.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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