Would I Lie to You?

One of Samaire Armstrong's first movies and right funny, even if it is a mite cornball and cartoonish. This is not at all a surprising tone really, since the writer and director Sheppard is a veteran writer of some of great animated cartoons including Steven Spielbergs Pinky and Brain. The actors are funny and seem to be having a good time. I love Samaire but also enjoyed the others too. Johnathon Penner is wonderful and Stephanie Beacham too. All of them really. Brad Rowe remind me of young Robert Redford. I like Susan Ward from Sunset Beach, and she has really grown up since then. She is a good comedy actress - surprised me! The camera work is nice and the music was pretty also. I love it myself and laughed a lot.

Brad Rowe! Susan Ward! Samaire Armstrong! A great indie cast puts in truly funny performances in this sparkling and fresh romantic comedy. The film manages to be both cynical and hopeful in its outlook on love, and straddles a fine line of highbrow and lowbrow humor pretty successfully. Susan Ward, the bad girl with a heart of stone from "The In Crowd" makes a 180 degree turn here from her previous tough chick roles, and she is just great as a slightly neurotic, insecure but lovable beauty. I never would have expected this type of character from her, but she's fantastic. Brad Rowe is a charming dweeb, and his character's insecurity works. Samaire Armstrong finally gets a leading role, and it's her best performance ever! She's probably got the most complex role in the film (I won't spoil the surprise), and plays the varying levels of her character to perfection. Jonathan Penner (loved him in "The Last Supper" with Cameron Diaz) comes on with a vengeance as a classic dirt bag. There is a definite Woody Allen style to this film, with much swift funny dialog and smart, unobtrusive direction that never gets in the way of the film's main asset, the performances.

I caught this on TV while vacationing in Greece, and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to see it's out on DVD now, and picked up a copy. Samaire Armstrong is absolutely adorable in this. I had no idea she was actually funny (she never did much for me on the O.C.), but her character in this is a real hoot. Likewise, Susan Ward manages to be funny and sexy at the same time. In fact, the whole cast appears to be having a great time -- the guy who played Kenny Bania on Seinfeld is so funny as a weirdo priest, and he nearly steals the whole film -- but the Llama really steals the show. Never been a big Brad Rowe fan, but he's a good straight man amid all the craziness. He's maybe a bit too handsome to be totally believable as a guy who has trouble meeting women, but then again, he's got a creepy mustache, and that's probably working against him. All in all, a fun, silly little comedy. Some uneven moments, but more laughs than you get from the big Hollywood comedies.

A certainly low budget film, but flat-out hilarious in spots. Using Oscar Wilde's silly farce as a mere jumping-off point, once the somewhat labored set-up is through, the film crackles along with outrageously silly set-pieces, especially the one featuring a horny llama. The actors are very good, doing a sort of heightened "old-Hollywood" over the top delivery. Samaire Armstrong (from Dirty Sexy Money and Entourage) is amazing. Jonathan Penner is deliciously creepy. Brad Rowe has a wicked mustache. Susan Ward is gorgeous and very cute. Kenny Banya from Seinfeld is in it, and he's very funny. If you're looking for highbrow, this ain't it. If you want to watch a really stupid, fun comedy - sort of a low budget version of Farrely Bros. stuff, then go for it.

Stephanie Beacham is the best thing in this movie, hands down, but you've got to hand it to a cast that can hold their own acting with her. She is a supreme goddess, and one of the most underrated actresses around. This is the first time I think I've ever seen her do comedy, and she does not disappoint as the always gorgeous Susan Ward's meddling mother. Her misinterpreting of a Japanese businessman's advances are priceless. Overall, I give this film high marks for making me laugh repeatedly. I find that happening less and less these days when I watch "comedies." There are a lot of good people in the cast. There's kind of an old fashioned screwball feel to the proceedings, and it even had a wonderful original (I think) score that reminded me a bit of Henry Mancini's work for Blake Edwards. I appreciate a romantic comedy that doesn't cram all kinds of pop songs in and just lets the music augment the action on the screen.

I have but one complaint -- why isn't Stephanie Beacham listed on the front of the DVD??? Shame on the filmmakers/distributors for not advertising her front and center! On the other hand, I say "Bravo" to the filmmakers for casting her in a great role. She is a total delight in a fun new spin on an Oscar Wilde classic.