I Love Trouble

This one was okay, but a bit too long. The funniest part is actually the scene where Nick Nolte and the boyscouts find Julie Roberts skinny dipping. And isn't Nolte a bit old for Roberts here? Well, if you're looking for a contrived romantic comedy, look no further.

When a train crash happens, veteran newspaperman Peter Brackett is sent from the Tribune to cover the story despite him being a columnist. At the scene of the crash he meets the beautiful young reporter Sabrina Peterson who he tries to hit on without much success, before dismissing her as an inexperienced youth. The next morning she scoops him in the Globe, getting an angle on the story that he didn't have. This sparks a rivalry between the two journalists but, as they find out more about the story they find themselves in mortal danger and are forced to form an uneasy partnership.

In case you are film-illiterate, this film has even called a character `Thin Man' to help you realise what it is clearly aspiring to be. The fast talking, battling characters aspire to be like those in the Thin Man series. However the main problem here is that this film has none of the wit, spark or fun of that series at it's best; instead it is all a bit lifeless and flat. The plot is good but it doesn't decide to be a mystery thriller until very late in the game; the final set piece is good but, because the film had been aiming for `playful' up till that point, it just doesn't work out well and it can't just suddenly create tension out of nowhere.

The rest of the film tries to be light and witty but it doesn't manage it either. A major fault in this regard is with the script; it doesn't have any really good lines or sequences. As much as I accept that Woody Allen is not everyone's cup of tea, he would have been the perfect part of a writing team here - witty dialogue in The Thin Man style is really his thing. The other problem is with the cast. Nolte and Roberts may both be big names, but they sadly have ZERO chemistry and this is a big problem. The two have no lines and their lack of spark just makes it worse, to compare this with the Thin Man series does that a great disservice. The support cast fares a bit better and contains quite a few famous faces such as Rubinek, Rebhorn, Loggia, Dukakis, Levy, Martin Smith and Gleason. They all do OK but they can't help the failings in the script, atmosphere and in the two stars.

Overall this is just about watchable but it's hard to ignore what it clearly intended to be. It is pretty much a big failure as it fails to amuse, excite or entertain on anywhere near the level that it was aiming for.

OK, once you get past the age difference of nolte and roberts, the film is enjoyable. I would have rather seen someone a little younger in Nolte's role, but other than that, i found the film enjoyable and well written. Where the film struggles however is editing. I actually think the film is about 20 minutes too long. There are a lot of traveling too and fro scenes that could have been edited out.

Where the film succeeds is the acting quality. As I said above, the age difference in the leads is distracting, the chemistry in the actors is very likable (including a nice set of guest spots in the beginning, including Robert Loggia). Many of the montages used to illustrate the developing rivalry are well done and the clues in the film are very intelligent.

Ultimately though, the best part of the movie is the fact that it is clean. A nice tribute to the tracy/hepburn days.

1st watched 2/8/2002 - 6 out of 10 (Dir-Charles Shyer): Nolte/Roberts starpower make this rather convuluted, unbelievable story watchable. A very simple title for a very over-the-top complex story that starts with two rival reporters covering a train de-railment in Chicago and ends with having something to do with a chemical that helps cows produce milk at an early age. As silly as the story plot is, we follow Nolte as a well-known name for the Chicago Chronicle, and Roberts as a newcomer for the Chicago Globe with both of them having one thing on their minds - their egos!! The movie starts out slow but once the two heroes start acting like they're actually trying to work together, things heat up. The exchanges between the two are comical and classic at times. Roberts seems to always to be matched up with some of the best male actors in Hollywood and she usually comes out holding her own, this is no exception and the movie, it's ok too.

This movie is a fun mystery with all the elements I enjoy - one of my favorites in a long list of good movies. The chemistry between the main characters is very good. I like that I knew the two would get together, and throughly enjoyed that their getting together was so entertaining. He said she said, was tasteless and full of junk John Hughes' style, and this one is way better than that one, even if Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins are two good actors, and it had one scene that is a memory in itself...

The main reason I like it, though, is that the idea of news reporters actually digging into a story because there is something being hidden is a nice thought. I rarely see a news story these days that I feel like they have even made any effort. They sure don't follow up with anything locally so this movie is a nice difference. I realize there were complaints by some that there was too much going on and that the story didn't follow one thing, but that's kind of the way that movies go. There was the main story being chased by two reporters that were rivals and had an obvious attraction. The "love story" is kind of behind the scenes which is better in my opinion because it is really more of an action suspense movie anyway. The humor is OK but not horrible. It is a 90's movie so you can't expect it to be as good as one from nowadays!

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.