Waltzing Anna

I stumbled on this film while flipping through channels and when I saw Betsy Palmer's name I was interested. The interest ended when I began watching it. The script is awful, the lead actor, terrible, and a complete waste of the talents of Betsy Palmer, Pat Hingle, George Morfogen, and the very talented Emmanuelle Chriqui. Robert Capelli Jr. who stars and wrote the script really needs to think about another line of work. His acting skills are terrible and he suffers from a speech impediment that is very jarring. The dialog is forced and the script is very poorly written. They could have at least done some research on what long-term care facilities really are like. I didn't believe the doctors were doctors, or the nurses were nurses. There was not even care to to the set dressing. There is a hallway with crumbling wall over the floor, and no matter how many shots it is used in it is never cleaned up, despite one scene when you can see a housekeeping person cleaning the floor! But the worst thing is that the storyline is so contrived and unbelievable. Please Mr. Robert Capelli Jr. don't write or appear in any more movies!

I saw a sneak preview of WALTZING ANNA and I truly feel this was one of the most enjoyable films I have ever seen. It was a breath of fresh air compared to what the studios are putting out. I can't remember the last time I cried in a theater and was so touched by a motion picture. I was moved by every performance and cared for every character. Robert Capelli Jr and Emmanuelle Chriqui, who co-star in the film, had excellent chemistry. The give and take between the two reminded me Tracey and Hapburn of years past. Pat Hingle, who plays a resident at the Nursing Home, gives a performance of a lifetime. He should be nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar.

WALTZING ANNA, a heartwarming tale of a doctor who is sent to an old age home to work on his bedside manner, was a true delight. The first half of the movie was light hearted and touches on subjects that we deal with on the surface. But the second half was the pay off. Midway through you are captivated by the story line and find yourself caring for every character. The subject manner was deep and emotionally driven. The payoff was truly honorable. I found myself walking away from the theater feeling better than I ever felt when exiting the film . I am glad to see filmmakers touching on topics that deal with elderly care. It sounds cliché but you'll laugh, you'll cry, and walk away with a smile on your face. It was a beautiful movie and hope it gets the attention it deserves.

I recently went into a blockbuster looking for a movie to rent. The girl working at the counter would sometimes recommend movies to me if I couldn't decided. She suggested a movie titled WALTZING ANNA. She said it is a small independent film but it seems to be catching interest. So I rented it. I must say I thought that this was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It was a funny emotional film filled with great performances. The 2 leads Emmanuelle Chriqui and Robert Capelli Jr did a wonderful job. Emmanuelle gave a strong performance as a nurse who worked in the nursing home and Robert Capelli Jr. displayed the range and emotion of a solid leading man, giving an unyielding performance. Rounding out the cast was Pat Hingle, who's performance of a broken down man living in the home brought me to tears. It is an inde film so the quality is not as good as a 100 million dollar budget film, but its heart is in the right place and accomplishes to do what movies should do, entertain.

It seems Mr Capelli is the lead because he is banking the project. He is perhaps the worst actor living today and I have been unable to find anything about him other than he's from Hobokon and becomes an executive producer out of nowhere. Mob money? who knows? The fact is the movie is really bad and for the most part because of him. I rented the "film" due to the fact that Emmanuelle Chriqui was in it. She's one of the most beautiful actresses working today and generally good in everything she's in - with what she has to work with here she's OK. Artie Lange, in his brief appearance, is good and his acting skills appear godlike compared to the clownish Capelli.

Despite my girlfriend dragging me to its advanced screening in NYC, I was most pleasantly surprised with "Waltzing Anna." Sure, it is a great chick flick, but it was actually more than that. It turned out to be a very well-written comedy with a nice dramatic edge. Artie Lange, Howard Stern's side kick, was hysterical and played well with the female lead who I immediately recognized from "Entourage" as E's girlfriend. The male lead was very convincing as an ethically challenged Doctor. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him very soon with his top notch performance. With appearances by J. Eddie Peck from "All My Children" and the old Judge from the Clint Eastwood spaghetti-westerns, the cast was of great support to a funny script that was well shot. If you enjoyed "Hitch," you will most certainly find "Waltzing Anna" well worth your while. It will remind you of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" meets "Patch Adams!"