Goodbye Lover

"Goodbye Lover" is certainly unpredictable, but there is a catch: once you've figured out the movie's cynical attitude (every single character is a slimy cheat looking for the big bucks), the twists all fall into the same pattern and lose their impact. Ellen DeGeneres is particularly grating; Don Johnson, Mary Louise Parker and even Ray McKinnon come off better, because they are pleasingly understated. (**1/2)

Things are not well in the Dunmore family. Sandra is an improvement tape freak who's marriage is rocky as her husband Jake hits the bottom of every bottle in the bar. This affects his work (but luckily his brother owns the company. However Ben is having sex with Sandra. This drives Jake to the point of suicide, however when Ben comes to stop him Ben becomes the victim of a plot that sees numerous twists.

I didn't have a clue what this was about when I watched it – and that helped. The start is OK and sets it up as a quirky film, with Arquette listening to self-improvement tapes and `The Sound of Music'. However it then gets dark with the murder itself but then veers between comedy and noir right till the end where we get a `to the camera' final line. The plot itself is OK – not great but passable. However it's not helped by the film not really knowing what it is – a comedy or a noir. Due to this it fails to do well in either but is watchable as both.

The thriller/noir bits don't work because they are damaged by the comedy and the slightly farfetched nature of the constant twists. The comedy doesn't work because it's either too quirky or just plain tired - witness Ellen DeGeneres deliver one dull putdown after another. However it is still enjoyable – merely because it's glossy and moves fast.

Arquette is sexy at some points but annoying at others – she is OK but I wouldn't pick her as my choice for femme fatale. Mulroney is OK but unmemorable. Parker again is good but I can't remember much about her character – she had little to do. The best bits come from the cameo of Gallo and a good early role for Don Johnson. DeGeneres is poor because she's lumbered with a poor role and no jokes to work with,

Overall I wasn't bored and didn't hate it. However it is a mix of styles and in no way is it a neo-noir of any description. However from the director of `The Big Easy' and a good cast of good actors I really expected more.

"Goodbye Lover" is the remedy for a person in need of sizzling, film noir mystery or laugh-out-loud comedy. Patricia Arquette and Ellen DeGeneres carry the film and both seem right at place as their characters. Arquette plays Sandra Dunmore, Don Johnson is Ben, her husband's brother. Dermot Mulroney is Jake Dunmore, Sandra's husband. A plan is being woven and you don't always know by who, as insurance money is what everyone wants. I won't give anything away, even though twists aren't the only thing this film has going for it. Like I said, I spent half the time laughing hysterically. Ellen DeGeneres is Rita Pompano, a lazy detective who hates the human race and is only in the force because "Every once in a while I get to shoot somebody." The film's script is smooth and well written, full of the right dose of thrills and laughs. Despite what many may say about this film, it is the perfect example of what film noir is all about. Not just mystery, not just comedy, but a little bit of both. A fantastic film.

Goodbye Lover is a thriller-comedy that keeps you watching although it's obvious the movie doesn't take itself too serious. Patricia Arquette is married to Dermot Mulroney and she has a lover, Don Johnson. She convinces John to kill her husband, but there's one problem: her husband is his brother.

The film is very predictable, with only 2-3 exceptions. All the murders come along absoultely normal and if you add a totally annoying sick-of-life cop, Ellen de Generes, and her help, a incredibly stupid guy from Salt Lake, you get as a result a not-so-great film. One thing saved the whole movie: the ending. Pretty original and not expected.

A good watch, if you're in the mood for a simple thriller. Good performances from the actors. Vote: 5 out of 10.

Shady married couple conspire to knock-off the husband's rich brother, but when the wife finds out her husband is in cahoots with the brother's spouse, she does some conspiring of her own. Over-plotted mystery-comedy-drama sat a long while on the shelf. Highly mediocre picture does have a great character for Patricia Arquette to play, but it still isn't funny enough nor convincing enough to make much of an impression. Though directed by the esteemed Roland Jaffe, this is just a cartoonish doodle that only served to give several under-used actors (Don Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, Dermot Mulroney, Mary Louise Parker) a chance to be "colorful". End result is exhausting and tedious. ** from ****