Love Is All There Is

Never saw this film until it was on late-nite TV.

My husband still has bruises from my pounding on him to wake up! I laughed until I cried!

The cast...goes without saying...magnificent. Bravura performances by all. Being brought up in an old-fashioned Italian neighborhood, I was able to identify with so many of the "grownups" in my past.

If you're really bummed, your checking account balance is in red, the IRS is after you, and your sinus headache is keeping you awake, find this film. It will cure all that and smooth out your hangnails, too!

Love Is All There is a funny movie. It's basically an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, Italian-American style. Two teenagers fall in love, much to the disgust of their feuding parents who own competing catering companies. Lanie Kazan is Rosarios (aka Romeo's) mother who is always going to this nutty psychic-type lady who gives her some obscure clues that her dear son is going to fall in love with someone and forget all about his mother. It turns out that the girl is Gina (aka Juliet) played by Angelina Jolie. So the feuding parents go all out to stop the two from falling in love, and ridiculously enough, the 16 year-olds want to get married at the end.

The movie is hilarious, though some of the other comments posted by other views would probably discourage people from viewing the movie. Sure, the entire love affair between the son and daughter is so stupid. But, I guess that's to be expected since they're just supposed to be dumb teenagers in love. In fact, the real gems of the movie are the parents, particularly Lanie Kazan's role, and the wacky psychich (Joe Bologna's real life wife) because they are just totally wacko people, so it turns out to be a totally wacky comedy. One that I sure enjoyed.

I think it's worth a shot.

The great Paul Sorvino plays a well-bred man who is pained to be forced to socialize with the low-class and vulgar Lainie Kazan and Joe Bologna, but his incredulous and exasperated expressions may just be his own response to finding himself in this movie.

A grandmother sees her grandson play Romeo in his high school production of "Romeo and Juliet" and remarks appreciatively upon the ample size of his genitals. Twice. That is the level of humor in this film.

Your move.

This film is readily available as a DVD, but please save your well-earned money. Fortunately for me I was able to borrow the DVD from our local library so it cost me nothing, only my valuable time.

I thought the whole film lacked any professional standard. A local church dramatic society could do as well, may be better.

I liked the idea of a farce built around the story of Shakepeare's Romeo and Juliet with feuding families and their suffering children.

I may be losing my sense of humour. I hope not. I found myself smiling a few times and I cracked a laugh when the boy's down-to=earth Mum put her chewing gum in the antique vase. There were also a few risqué moments when Romeo lost control when kissing Juliet during their stage performance. It's difficult to hide your enthusiasm when wearing tights.

The medium giving advice on affairs of the heart says "Love is all there is...but we need so much more". This film sure is lacking in something, so skip this one, my friend.

Angelina Jolie in a role showing a charming sweetness to an even higher degree than in 'Playing by Heart'. The courtship plays out against a somewhat contrived background of Italian family rivalry, somewhat reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, but with a Hollywood happy end, even though with heavy handed ethnicity thrown in. If this movie was available on DVD I would buy it in a New York minute ;-). Fun entertainment for the whole family. No doubt I am prejudiced since I really like Angelina, but then what's not to like about her (forget about her personal life)? Charming.