Copacabana

I saw this movie when it first came out in and again several years later, on CBS also. Well the 2nd time around it was horribly butchered clearly to put its run time under 2 hours and stuff it full of commercials. I've been trying to find it that longer version for years cause yeah hey, Barry's on screen for more than an hour; I can live with that .

Okay Barry's passable actor. He's not as good as Gene Kelly but not as dismal as Neil Diamond (Two minutes of the "Jazz Singer" remake with Diamond on screen was all I could stomach). It has the distinction of being of 4 TV movie musical I could tolerate. The musical numbers are above average and the setting (refetrring to the time period) has a more authentic look than many movies over the last 20 years taking place in the 40s or 50s. Baring that sad ending; it brought back to mind MGM musicals.

My gripe with this movie, why I'm giving it an 8 is Tony, the character Barry plays--What (acting) reach is he doing??? He's playing himself! Manilow nut me has read books about him, every article I could get my mitts on and the background story is his life with a little tweaking here and there. Wish he had put himself in another movie genre first. As good entertain as it was, the chosen role for his debut was not a very good one.

Reminiscent of the popular Latin American films in the '40s and '50s, the glitzy costumes, music, and performances blend for a camp experience. Just enjoy a clean, fun, not-to-be-taken-seriously piece of film. Forget your troubles for about two hours!

I must admit, I am a Barry fan, and any one who is will certainly enjoy this movie. However, even those who may not consider themselves fans will find this lighthearted musical comedy to be a treat. It's fast-paced, the musical numbers are splendid, and Barry Manilow is a surprisingly good actor. I wonder why he never did any more theatrical roles, other than this. Unfortunately, the DVD offers no additional insights or extras on this movie, a dissappointment. All in all, if you are a fan of the romantic comedies of yesteryear, "This one's for you, where ever you are...". They just don't make 'em like THAT anymore!

Underrated tribute to 40s screwball comedies and musicals. First rate score, excellent performances, and beautiful period settings. The feature film lighting is also quite remarkable for this time as most TV movies adopted flat TV lighting. Manilow interprets his own material far better than any of the Tonys in the

various stage musical versions that followed in later years. He's sort of a male Barbara Streisand with an underplayed comic edge, versatile acting skills, and a great voice. Too bad musicals were (and still are) dead by 1985. The

showcase number, "Who Needs to Dream" is both the highlight and the biggest

disappointment because it should have been staged better, even on a low

budget. It's reminiscent of Gene Kelly's famous "Singin' In The Rain" but without the rain and painfully static camera shots--cutting back and forth, back and forth between Tony and Lola. Tony (Barry) moves around a bit more toward the end,

but one is left with the impression this was the last scene they shot when they were out of money or time to do it right. The DVD version offers a beautiful transfer but, sadly offers no commentary or extra features.

Who knew that the man who wrote the songs can't act. Barry Manilow has always been a showman, yet somehow playing a showman (even an up and coming one) is beyond him. His acting is stiff...so stiff that when he is shot at the end (this is not a spoiler, you've HEARD the song, there is no more plot to this fiasco than what you get in the song) he looks more like a redwood toppling to the floor than a human. If a Manilow falls in the movie and nobody watches it, what is the sound of no fans clapping. Add to that the awful makeup that "ages" Lola at the beginning and end of the movie, and you have a totally miss-able film. So why not a 1 vote? There was enough that I actually made it to the end of the film. It might be worth it to you for the badness, but the only entertainment value is making fun of this with your friends.