Ein hundsgemeiner Herzensbrecher

"After seeing Bruce Greenwood in RULES OF ENGAGEMENT I decided to rent other films that he starred in. I found a delightful low budget film of his---I liked his performance in ANOTHER CHANCE better than RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. What a film! I loved it. I give it a nine."

"Another Chance" is an odd film. On one hand, it claims to be a film about the joys of monogamy and commitment. But, on the other, the story is also unabashedly trashy and filled with sex and nudity. In other words, the film wants it BOTH ways!

John (Bruce Greenwood) is a sexaholic actor. His life seems to revolve around bedding women and he is an expert manipulator and liar. The story loses some believably when he meets Jackie (Vanessa Angel) and he suddenly is in love. You know he's in love because there is a lengthy montage...followed quickly by John jumping into bed with (or, more like yanked into bed with) a sexy woman (who might just be a demon). Not surprisingly, his dream girl, Jackie, walks in and their relationship is over. To get over this sad breakup, John quickly beds other girls. Is there any redemption or change in John before the end of this picture?

In many ways, this film is like the Blake Edwards film "Skin Deep"....but with a lot less depth....and because of this, it's a lot less interesting. While I love Bruce Greenwood (he was brilliant in the short-lived TV series, "Nowhere Man"), here he isn't given a lot to do other than look pretty and bed women. The biggest problem is that the 'relationship' with Jackie seemingly impacted on John so much only took a few minutes in the film. You see them meet and him trying to manipulate her...but the actual relationship itself seemed unimportant to show in any detail (other than that montage)...and showing WHY he cared about her (at least to the ability this character COULD love anyone) isn't really in the film. The same could be said about his fall from grace...which happened way too quickly as well. And, don't even get me started about the ultra-cheesy meeting with St. Peter near the end!!

As you can probably tell by now, I was not bowled over by this movie. While the idea was good, the execution seemed cheap and unconvincing. I cannot understand the glowing reviews I just read about this film and think the overall score (a paltry 4.6) is more like what you should expect.

Also, insightful look at the inner workings of an incorrigible womanizer. Also noteworthy to see Bruce Greenwood's work as a newcomer in 1989.

Debra Jo Fondren (Playmate of the Year 1978)

Almost classic romantic comedy, with supernatural touches, full of fantastic girls: from Vanessa Angel to Barbara Edwards (one of the greatest looking playmates of all time) passing through a short (terribly too short, because she's one of my favorites) cameo of Karen Mystal, and several other great looking women. They are a reason good enough to see the movie till the end (there are no other really important, alas). Worth a look for the women alone.

In the movie Another Chance, I think that the idea of the actor bombing out in Hollywood, then having to work as his own celebrity look-alike was excellent! The sound, the music and the photography were'nt so great though. Could've been better. Everything considered, I'd give it a rating of 7 overall.