For Better or Worse

I finally saw this flick on sale for $4.99 at the local gay video rental place and had to snatch it up immediately! I watched it with the sole intention of seeing my hero Bea Arthur deliver a knockout performance, which she of course did. The overall plot is kind of hokey, (does anyone know why we should even care about Jason Alexander's character??) but Bea is fabulous as the Makeshift brothers' credit union-employee mom. Her dry, deadpan deliveries keep the humor moving right along, and this movie probably wouldn't have even registered on my scale without her.

Funny cameo scene by Rob Reiner, too. Watch for a very young Haley Joel Osment in that same scene.

***** out of 10

You shouldn't watch this movie if you're not a Seinfeld/George Costanza fan. It's not that great. Some funny quotes here and there, but not enough to save the show. A good way to make an hour and a half whiz past.

Nobody is comparing but any movie in which we are damned to endure the presence of Jason Alexander necessarily has to remind us of the most inane and overrated TV show in history. I know, I'm one of the few misguided souls that think like that but this is a free country, or so they say. However, I think For Better Or Worst is a good example of what always has been my theory about Seinfeld. They just abuse the gullibility of their faithful audience by inserting recorded laughs through unfunny dialog and hoping the TV viewers tag along. They actually do and that has made a mediocre stand-up comedian one of the wealthiest and most famous of American entertainers. Don't take my word for it. Just watch Jason Alexander repeat his hysterical antics and see if you can laugh. Put a laugh machine under and tell me if it's not as funny as The Seinfeld Show. The movie has a good cast but nothing helps. The only one that manages to do something with his role, as usual, is James Woods. Marvelous Lolita Davidovich is forced to play some sentimental hybrid and she copes with it with great dignity but can't really shine. By the way, I don't want to sound too trivial but I sincerely can't imagine such a woman having any kind of affair with such a guy unless he's directing the movie. Joe Mantegna is totally wasted and the rest, including Bea Arthur, has really nothing to work on. One of the many uninspired lines in the movie says: "This is better than my soap!." No, it's not. Not even that.

See this movie directed by and starring Jason Alexander. It's not a one-of-a-kind movie, it's not an 'American Beauty' and it's not unforgettable. Heck, it's a one-star movie! It's got a good story idea, but the movie would've been a lot better if they had an excellent script, because some parts are just way out there. See it for Jason Alexander and Jay Mohr. Jay was downright hilarious. Jason was good at acting un-George-like.

The main problem was about 15 minutes in, I wanted to shoot the performers of the irritating background music. 'Okay, we get the point already! You're in a capella jazz group, now shut it!'

And, ladies, by the end of the movie, I'm sure you'll be thinking that Jason IS the most adorable guy on the planet, too, inside and out. Too bad he's married. (His wife's in the movie as the cop about three minutes from the end of the movie.)

8/10

Hilarious. A real "sleeper." I never heard of it until it appeared on INHD TV. So many surprises (not in any particular order): Lolita Davidovitch gives one of the very best (perhaps THE best)comic actress performances ever. What a waste of talent that we've seen so little of her. Who knew James Woods could be funny at all, let alone as funny as THIS? He creates a sleaze, with no redeeming qualities, yet we can't hate him, can't help but sort of actually like him. There's no hint of the menace for which he became a star. Jason Alexander is touching and funny, but I already knew that. What I didn't know was his talent for directing antic comedy. Jay Mohr has never been better. Bea Arthur is perfect as the somewhat befuddled mother. Rip Torn is on screen for only a few minutes, but every one is a comic jewel. Even Joe Montegna (an actor whose talent has always escaped me)almost is funny once or twice. The script is marvelous, with enough throwaway lines to make another movie. I seem to be a party of one here in my comments, but those who watched it with me laughed as much as I, and liked it as much.