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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
This film springs from a long-neglected script by the late John Cassavetes. The script was directed by his son Nick and stars Sean Penn, who was set to star before the elder Cassavetes died. Penn plays Eddie, an alcoholic ne'er-do-well who loves his young wife Maureen (Robin Wright Penn) too much. When she is brutalized by a neighbor, Eddie goes nuts--and lands in a mental hospital for 10 years. When he is freed, he finds Maureen remarried, to contractor Joey (John Travolta), with whom she has two children. But Eddie's love is too strong not to draw him back to her and make one final plea for her affection. A great showcase for all of the actors involved (the cast includes James Gandolfini, Harry Dean Stanton, and Gena Rowlands), with a particularly fine performance by Sean Penn. The film has the make-it-up-as-you-go feeling of John Cassavetes's work, as well as the kind of naked emotions that were his hallmark. --Marshall Fine
She's So Lovely [Region 2] Reviews:
The People That Don't like this Don't Understand it.. 
2009-10-16 - This movie is great. The last script John Cassavettes wrote, then Directed by his son Nick after his fathers death.
After reading multiple viewer revues I finally understand why people some people don't like this film. The ending is just too disturbing because it has an anti-Hollywood climax that does not finish with an obvious hero riding to save the day.
Reminds me of classic film noir where the characters are human rather than "right and moral" or "bad and evil".
Please watch, if your a fan of great acting, calssic independent cinema or film noir you'll enjoy this fine film.
And if you like, please view John Cassavettes "A Woman Under the Influence "
Penn's Acting Acmen Could Not Save This Turkey 
2009-05-31 - The dialouge from this film must have been written in the 1940's. A nonsensical plot and general poorly done screenplay evident throughout this film. Sean Penn & Travolta delivers a good performance but wife Robin was horribly mis-cast. This film is just bad.
IT'S ONLY ME, BUT:
2008-05-31 - GREAT SHOWCASE FOR ROBIN WRIGHT. SHE IS EXCELLENT. SEAN PENN PLAYS CREEPY AND NUTSO TO A TEE. TRAVOLTA ONLY GETS A 7 OUT OF 10 ON THIS ONE. WRIGHT AND PENN OUT SHINE HIM IN THIS MOVIE. TRAVOLTA'S NORMAL (?) GUY TO WRIGHTS & PENN'S SOULMATE CRAZY'S DOES NOT STAND A CHANCE.
Interesting is one word for it 
2007-11-13 - There are enough reviews here to give a synopsis of this movie that I don't feel a need to give one. I'll just review the movie.
The acting was really pulled off quite well. I laughed a little, I smiled some, I yelled at the screen quite a bit. The characters were well defined from meeting them instantly. Before the 10 years later, I was crossing my fingers hoping Mo's character would treat him right, so after the 10 year moment, I was a bit angry. Which is good, because that means the movie did its job and sucked me into it's world.
The ending however left me in a bit of shock. The last important line at the end took my breath away, as in that everyone understood Mo and still loved her.
I don't think this movie would stand up to multiple "just me" viewings, but I wouldn't mind watching it again with someone else just to get their take on it.
It's definately something that makes you pause. You don't have to agree with the characters choices because the film doesn't try to say the actions are right or wrong, it just shows you what happens and allows you to decide for yourself. It also makes you think a bit (me as a female anyway) on what I would've done.
The ending was appropriate to the movie. I didn't personally agree with the ending, but it didn't take away from the quality of the film because, as I said, it was appropriate.
There is some amazing acting in here. If you like films slightly dark in tone, it's definately worth watching.
"Love is so difficult": a crazy couple's romance
2005-12-17 - This movie is hopelessly out of step with the times - evoking one of the 60's European cinema's themes of questioning the bourgeoisie lifestyle. It's a fascinating, irrational celebration of passion, even if these feelings have destructive consequences and involve unquestionably insane, violent, socially dysfunctional behavior. Taking an unflinching look at urban bar-flies who live in a hotel worthy for crack addicts, the subversive film is emotionally messy, ambivalent in its social values, theatrical but gritty, deeply romantic but totally debauched.
The three main characters are repellent, but not nauseating, because they have such flair, are darkly funny and display touching humanity. The actors playing them (Robin Wright Penn, Sean Penn and John Travolta) go not for realism or the usual Hollywood character arc, but for what they see as artistic "truth" in any given scene. Whatever. Oops, I mean, all three are outstanding.
Robin Wright Penn is, at the beginning, pregnant and smokes and drinks, looks like she shoots up heroin, and constantly trips over her high heels all over the sidewalk. It seems to be raining all the time, too. She walks and talks like a street hooker in the old Times Square. Even with all this, she, to me, truly is so lovely and heartbreakingly tragic, beautiful and not quite right in the head and bad news.
This film has that oh-so hip mid-90's indy Miramax flavor. (Put it along something experimental like Leaving Las Vegas from a couple of years before and it's not really that weird.) As you can read anywhere else, this script is by the late, some say great, American film rebel John Cassavetes (hence the theme mentioned above and the ever-present raw feelings) and was directed by his son, Nick. There's a strong sense of mise-en-scene, and for such a wacky story, it's well-paced, lean and taut, and Cheese Doodles leave an orange stain on your fingers. But I digress. I must have been channelling Eddie Quinn, Mr. Penn's character.
Check out Penn's acting genius in this cheerfully deranged flick. Like several of his verbal riffs: he speculates on his wife's clairvoyant abilities and goes off on, "Can you type 170 words a minute? Can you sew? Can you dance? What can you do?" and his rather elaborate drink order a little while later before he goes on about seven women controlling the world at their computers. This stuff has to be seen and heard to be believed.
In fact, by watching the DVD's extra feature, An Actor's Look at Cassavetes, a sit-down with the Penns and Mr. Travolta, this movie could be seen, to a certain extent, as the Penns' acting workshop - like, say Hurly Burly. An opportunity within the confines of the Hollywood structure to exercise acting chops for all involved, including the guy from the Sopranos, James Gandolfini, as the alcoholic rapist neighbor, as well as Harry Dean Stanton and Gena Rowlands. In the discussion, Robin finishes Sean's spoken ideas and I instantly comprehend their palpable chemistry on screen.
John Travolta, back in the day, is at the top of his game in the movie's second half as the maybe-gangster guy who snatched the lady out of the gutter. He has that Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty-era cool, magic charm going on here, both witty and goofy. Watch for these fun, showy hand gestures he does.
The music on the sound track is suitably bizarre enough. There's a big band standard-sounding opening by the most idiosyncratic Bjork and slightly mesmerizing, creepy songs by Grace Jones.
I could extend this essay, but I've covered my main points. If you want to know the plot, watch the movie or read some other review.
