20140417: Comedy Review--Some Girls.

Some Girls

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American/British live action feature length film, 1988, rated R, 94 minutes.
2. IMDB: 6.0/10.0 from 1,820 audience ratings.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 50% on the meter; 44% liked it from 845 audience ratings.
4. I watched the DVD version.
5. Directed by: Michael Hoffman.  Written by: Rupert Walters.
6. Starring: Patrick Dempsey as Michael, Jennifer Connelly as Gabriella, Sheila Kelly as Irenka, Lance Edwards as Nick, Lila Kedrova as Granny, Andre Gregory as Mr. D'Arc, Florinda Bolkan as Mrs. D'Arc, Ashley Greenfield as Simone, Sanna Vraa as Young Granny.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Gabriella invites Michael to spend Christmas with the family in Quebec City.  This includes the mother and father, plus sisters Simone and Irenka, and Irenka's boyfriend Nick.


2. Michael runs afoul of just about everything.  Gabriella tells him she is no longer in love with him.  Gabriella's mother is a fairly strict Catholic who believes in avoiding sex before marriage.  The family dog does not seem to like him.


3. In a sub-thread, the grandmother is ill, and periodically escapes from the hospital to be with her dead husband at their previous home.  While looking for Granny, Michael falls down a shaft.  Granny discovers him, and they go back to where Granny lived with her husband, also named Michael.


4. Michael gets a second round of this when the others go skiing, Nick goes for petrol, and Michael thinks he's alone with her.  Michael finds Granny's long missing 'summer shoes.'  When he tries to present her with them, he finds that Granny has gone to yet another house. 


5. On the way back to the hospital, Granny's health plummets.  Nick and Michael don't quite get her back in time.  The funeral was held before Christmas.  Nick leaves after the viewing.  At Christmas, things are a bit somber.  Michael meets (yes, mysterious) Young Granny at the family tomb.


6. Michael has farewell discussions before he goes home.


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: A fine comedy about a duck out of water with an eccentric family.
2. Four stars of five


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 10/10 Professional presentation, start to finish.


2. Sound: 9/10 The actors were properly miked, and most of the incidental music was well-chosen.


3. Acting: 8/10 Patrick Dempsey was brilliant, as were Lila Kedrova, Andre Gregory, Florinda Bolkan, and Sanna Vraa.  Jennifer Connelly was hard to recognise, and was more irritating than anything else.


4. Screenplay: 8/10 Clever and mature.