Tante Julia et le scribouillard

I love this movie. I love everything about it.

It's a screwball comedy and first-rate farce. It kids soap operas, white-bread 1950's suburbia, and even points up the absurdity of racism, while still being joyous, fun, and affectionately good-natured. The acting is superb all around with delightful chemistry between the three main characters played by Barbara Hershey, Keanu Reeves, and Peter Falk. I'm amazed that anyone could fault Reeves' performance in this film. He is perfect - sweet, hopeful, naive and romantic. The May-late autumn romance between Reeves and Barbara Hershey is completely believable. You want these two to make it.

The secondary plot involves a playing-out of the radio soap opera as Peter Falk's character writes it. The acting is deliciously over-the-top as befits the absurd storyline. Extra kudos to Elizabeth McGovern. Who knew she could be so funny?

Peter Falk is the glue that holds the whole thing together. He wickedly manipulates everyone who comes within his sphere of influence - but all in the name of art and love.

As an added bonus, the music is wonderful, both as atmosphere and in and of itself. Wynton Marsalis wrote the score and his band plays the music. If you like jazz or even if you don't, the way it weaves in and out of and becomes part of the plot is a delight to the soul.

Why is a movie funny? The plot? The actors? The director? All of the above? I cannot answer but "Aunt Julia..." surely gathers all of them and must be one of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen. I cannot stop laughing when thinking of Peter Falk disguised as a fireman explaining why men have to hate other men. A truly special film.

Whenever I think of extremely underrated movies, Tune in Tomorrow always comes to mind. Barbara Hershey, Peter Falk and Keanu Reeves all shine in their leading roles. The luminous and hilarious supporting cast showcases Patricia Clarkson, Peter Gallagher, Elizabeth McGovern and John Larroquette like you've never seen them before. This ensemble is one of the best that I've encountered on screen and makes me wish they gave out awards for supporting casts.

The movie might not be everyone's cup of sweet tea but it's a gem, nonetheless. Even if the story doesn't tickle your heart, the movie is definitely worth catching for the Wynton Marsalis score and the classic images of a pre-Katrina New Orleans.

Nothing is more exciting to Pedro Carmichael than "reality impacting." It happens when the radio serial he writes offends Albanians who picket the station and attack the diminutive scenarist in the street, and it happens when a young news writer falls in love with his sexy aunt, a situation bearing similarities to the latest storyline from Carmichael's prolific pen. Reality impacts a little too much for the couple, however, when their words and actions turn up on the radio exactly as they were played out in their lives.

The premise of "Tune in Tomorrow..." is one that could certainly be the springboard for some first-rate comedy and if it had been written by someone as imaginative as the writer portrayed in the film by Peter Falk, it might have been just that. Instead, the movie sputters along, never quite catching fire, except literally at the conclusion when those fed up Albanians bomb the station.

The cast is almost perfect. Almost, you say? Two words: Keanu Reeves. Affecting a less than convincing Southern accent, Reeves is as dull here as he's been in most of his films. Barbara Hershey is fine as his sexy aunt,

and in the strictly imaginary visual reenactments of the radio soap operas, John Larroquete, Buck Henry, Dan Hadeya, Henry Gibson, Peter Gallagher, and Elizabeth McGovern are terrific. The star of this show, however, is Peter Falk who saves "Tune in Tomorrow..." from being a total misfire with a wonderfully eccentric performance. As Carmichael, Falk dresses up as a maid, surgeon, rabbi, fireman, and cardinal, all in an effort to create new characters from a base of reality. Falk rates a solid four stars. The movie only rates two and a half.

From some of the other comments (especially the one complaining about the Southern accents), it's clear that people are judging this film at face value. This movie is not meant to be realistic! It's a whimsical, highly stylized fable, right in line with director Jon Amiel's best work -- and it's a delight from start to finish. Everybody in the cast is clearly having a great time -- particularly Peter Falk -- and if you have an open mind, and are willing to surrender to the film's atmosphere, you'll have a great time too.

Hilarious, smart, sexy, surprising -- in other words, not your typical Hollywood comedy. Give it a chance!