Name: Retro Film Review: She's So Lovely (1997)
Item: She's So Lovely
Rating: 40
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

Genre is something that is supposed to be in the eye of beholder, but sometimes marketing departments miss their mark by everyone's standards. In this part of the world She's So Lovely, 1997 drama directed by Nick Cassavetes, was promoted as "romantic comedy".

There is some humour in this film and the protagonists are madly in love with each other, but people should really have to be broad-minded in order to accept this as romantic comedy. The script was written by John Cassavetes, director's father, great American actor and independent film maker, known for films in which characters tended to resemble those from the forensic psychiatry textbooks. The protagonists of this film aren't any different - working-class Eddie Quinn (played by Sean Penn) and his pregnant girlfriend Maureen (played by Robin Wright Penn) love each with intensity that borders on insanity. Some of that could be explained with their mutual affinity for substance abuse, but one day Eddie's unstable manners result in a shooting incident that leaves him behind the walls of mental institution. Ten years later Eddie gets released and finds out that Maureen has completely changed her life by settling down in suburbs with well-off Joey (played by John Travolta) and having two children. Eddie, however, refuses to reconcile with that fact and it all leads to unavoidable confrontation.

She's So Lovely is a well-acted film. Sean Penn received award at Cannes Film Festival for his role, and deservedly so. His real-life wife Robin Wright-Penn also played very effective role as the partner in dysfunctional relationship. John Travolta is also handling his thankless role very well. However, being played by great actors isn't enough for characters to be attractive - all of them are so dysfunctional that their antics become annoying after a while. Ironically, it is Harry Dean Stanton, always reliable character actor, who plays the only character that doesn't change and remains more- or-less normal. The script also has its problems, but Nick Cassavetes' direction doesn't help any bit - especially in scenes featuring endless and annoying slow-motions. The ending of the film is also disappointing and this film, although watchable, is far from being lovely.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on December 5th 2003)