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| Brett S.
Harrison |
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| DEATH
TO SMOOCHY There are comedies and there are dark comedies. Many comedies succeed at being funny but prefer to play it safe. Whereas many dark comedies are all about the risk but not so funny. Although it drags a little and has an ending that looks like it was changed from a more downbeat one, Death to Smoochy is a rare bird indeed. It is a dark, funny comedy that takes risks but makes you laugh as well. I laughed a lot. Robin Williams is Rainbow Randolph, a beloved kid show host who is busted by the feds for accepting a bribe. The execs over at Kidnet, the network that carries Randolph’s show, are left holding the bag as they must now find a replacement for Randolph. Because of the scandal they are more concerned if he has a record than how he sounds on a recording. Enter one Sheldon Mopes(Edward Norton), who performs at methadone clinics as a loveable purple rhino named Smoochy. Not only does Smoochy replace Randolph, he eclipses him, becoming more popular than Randolph ever was. Alas, fame does have its dark side as Sheldon soon finds out. When your on top everyone wants a piece of you, like the execs. Or they want you in pieces, like Rainbow Randolph amongst others. Can I get an Amen for Robin Williams? It’s about time he ditched the warm and fuzzy act and got back to being Robin. Although this is a little darker than we’re used to seeing him, it’s vintage Robin all the same. The same manic facial tics, the stream of consciousness improvs add up to a delicious comic portrait of a man on the edge that’s perfectly in sync with Danny DeVito’s twisted vision. And what a vision it is. How many of us have watched a popular kids show and wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Not many. In some ways kids entertainment may be the last safe haven for satirists. Not anymore. DeVito has a great time going after the men and women to whom many parents entrust their kids for countless hours in front of the tube. There are many belly laughs but the joy for me was when it really gets vicious. One of many great lines: When Sheldon’s agent warns him against messing with a charity called The Rainbow Foundation the agent (DeVito) cautions, “Don’t mess with these guys. They’re the worst of the charities. Edward Norton is a wonderful actor but here he is somewhat of a
weak link. True, he is likeable and a somewhat commanding presence. He
is game for what DeVito throws at him but his characterization of
Sheldon is all wrong. The script clearly portrays him as a miso-guzzling,
tofu-swilling new age disciple but Norton plays him with too much
energy. Rated
R 3
reels out of 4 SerendipityRated
PG 13 Available
in video April 9 This
is Sleepless in Seattle for people who watch The Psychic’s Network. Is
there such a thing as destiny? Are certain people meant to be together?
And what do used book stores have to do with all this. Jon Cusack and
Kate Beckinsale play Jon and Sarah,
two unbelievably appealing New Yorkers who meet while eying the
same pair of gloves at a department store. They seem to click but both
are attached. Some years later, as both are set to wed, they both get an
enormous longing for each other as they mysteriously seem to drift
towards each other. Light as air romantic comedy admittedly not for the
demanding but fans of Cusack and the genre will not be disappointed.
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©Copyright 2002 Brett S. Harrison |