True Love

This film has been lauded by critics everywhere, from Leonard Maltin to the acclaimed American Cinema series, so I was truly disappointed when I sat down and watched it. Granted, it's an indie film by a first-time director (Nancy Savoca), and I'm not an Italian American (removing a possible bond to the film) so I couldn't expect a divine epiphany. But the film did not meet any of my high expectations for it (I suppose I should have learnt long ago not to have those;) The plot was passable, though some of it was very unconvincing. I think the acting made it much worse than it would have othewise been. Annabella Sciorra was a standout; she was pretty much the only bright spot of the film. Her character's parents and friends weren't all that bad either, but any acting quality ended there. Ron Eldard left much to be desired. His character was unrealistic, had no distinct personality, and was *beyond* overdramatized. His immaturity and crudity were overplayed, and his friends were cardboard, without much decipherable distinction between them. I had a hard time believing she would even marry him after most of his antics, which seemed excessive and unbelievable. Not unbelievable in the sense that it couldn't have happened to anyone, but moreso that his character seemd to swing too wildly back and forth between an moronic irresponsible teenager and a future groom with issues to work out. As well, his mother's apathy towards his antics (especially as she sits passively and watches him running repeatedly to the bathroom to throw up after a night of drunken revelry) seemed completely unrealistic. Lack of subplots also contributed to this film's problems. The attraction of one of Eldard's friends to one of Sciorra's is never properly realized, and his sudden proposal to her has no justification and seems absolutely ridiculous As well, there are quite a few other little side scenes like that one that suspend the realm of reality to the viewer. The characters felt one-dimensional, they were never properly developed (save, perhaps, Sciorra's character). This made it even more difficult to relate to them, and to the film. Overall, this film could have been much more lucid, instead it falls quite flat. There are many worse films of its type, but comparing it to Moonstruck or calling it 'one of the year's best films' (both comments are on the box) is more than far-fetched. 5/10.

One of the least funny "comedies" I've ever wasted time watching.

The characters are so awful I didn't care what happened to them, and the story is depressing - the clue that it's no fun to watch is the term "slice of life" on the DVD case.

That should always be a warning. "Slice of life" means, nobody is happy.

Also, the term "True Love" has absolutely NOTHING what so ever to do with this movie.

Boring, bad, stupid, unlikeable characters...what else do I need to say?

As their wedding date draws closer, two youths grow increasingly uncertain about whether they are ready to get married in this debut feature from 'Dogfight' director Nancy Savoca. The script is by Savoca and her husband (Richard Guay) and the film benefits from showing both sides of the equation. As the boyfriend, Ron Eldard is torn between his bride and his unmarried friends who just want to party; as the girlfriend, Annabella Sciorra wonders if he is mature enough for her. There is some intriguing background information as it is revealed that her parents eloped and as they plan a larger-than-life wedding, it seems like they are mostly interested in making up for what they missed out on. Despite showing both sides though, the film is far more balanced in favour of Sciorra, which makes Eldard seem like a selfish jerk. A more interesting film may have given both sides equal weight rather than leave us wondering what she ever saw in him in the first place. If flawed though, the film survives well on account of great, naturalistic dialogue exchanges and memorable quirks like the option for blue potatoes at the wedding ceremony (!). The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival; no small feat considering that it was competing against 'Heathers' and 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' and other films that have gone onto become better known cult hits.

The leads seem to have either wonderful acting skills, natural chemistry for each other or both. My money is on both. The movie allows the viewer to feel like they are part of the various conversations. You feel like you are at the kitchen table when that scene is shown. It accurately portrays the vast amount of decisions and disconnects that many couples endure when going from the words "will you marry me" to the words "I do". I liked all the supporting actors and actresses' performances. The parents show a good loving chemistry as well. The music is good if you like the 1980's sound (my fav. is Pam Russo's hit "It works for me") . Granted there are no chase scenes or major explosions, but it is a cute romance worth watching.

In the Bronx Italian-American community, Donna (Annabella Sciorra) and Michael (Ron Eldard) are getting married. There are conflicts building over the preparations and the relationship itself.

This is an early 90's era indie. It has two solid actors in the lead. In the end, I only care about those two characters. The other characters are no more than annoying chatter boxes. It starts slow with the couple being lovey-dovey. The attempted humor like the wedding dinner prep comes off as Italian stereotypes doing comedy. The bachelor party argument is the start of the couple's bickering and I like that. At least, it's interesting. In the end, this is not a highlight of this era's indie movement, but it does showcase a couple of actors and that's good.