|
Review: Jack Foley | Rating:
2
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio commentary by director Bob Dolman;
HBO Special; Scene access; Interactive menus; Blooper reel.
GOLDIE Hawn and Susan Sarandon make an endearing double act in
this soppy comedy about two former rock ‘n’ roll groupies
who are reunited to confront the reality of what their lives have
become.
Back in the late Sixties, Suzette (Hawn) and Vinnie (Sarandon)
became famous for getting into the pants of every music legend
of the time (from Zappa to Morrison), yet it has been two decades
since ‘the Banger sisters’ last laid eyes on one another.
Now, Suzette is a struggling former bartender, still living in
the past (albeit with an increased bust line), while Vinnie has
become a prim suburban mother and a community pillar.
For the former, the reunion marks a last chance to rescue her
life from its self-destructive spiral, while for the latter, it
offers the opportunity to take a look at what she has become and
a chance to get in touch with her former self; one that has been
buried by the passage of time.
The ensuing comedy is neither as raunchy, nor as funny, as it
ought to be, but is rescued from obscurity by the efforts of its
talented cast.
|
 |
Hawn, in particular, provides the majority of the laughs as the
sex-charged former siren who still isn’t sure what she’s
looking for and her sassy, outspoken Suzette could easily be an
older version of the character her real-life daughter, Kate Hudson,
portrayed in Almost Famous
(Penny Lane), albeit with a nice line in self-depreciation.
Her chemistry with Sarandon works well and the two frequently
rise above their material to make things more enjoyable than they
would at first seem.
Geoffrey Rush, as a struggling writer who is picked up by Suzette
on the way to Phoenix to shoot his father, is also good value
as her eventual love interest, while several of the support players
(including Kohl Sudduth’s hotel clerk) display some nice
comic timing.
That said, former Traffic
star, Erika Christensen, is completely wasted as yet another drug-addicted
daughter, while first-time director, Bob Dolman’s film all
too frequently opts for easy laughs at the expense of bodily functions
(a device which is beginning to wear thin).
The final 20 minutes are also horrendously sentimental and way
too preachy with Christensen, once again, being given the onerous
task of delivering the ‘moral’ lesson during her graduation
speech.
But then this is a movie which clearly has its gaze fixed on
the ‘happy-ending’ obsessed mainstream from the outset,
while also being one that is more likely to appeal to the girls
more than the guys.
For those seeking a little bit of undemanding fun, however, it
has plenty to offer during its middle section - just don’t
expect to be seeking an encore.
|
