Dear Mr. Wonderful

Wow i couldn't believe how awful this movie was.. The singing was lousy, Joe Pesci looked so cheesy in this role, and i like Joe Pesci, Don't think he was ready to be a lead actor in this, but then again he didn't have much to work with either, i thought i noticed Robert DeNiro as the piano player, also Michael Pare in the Gym. i couldn't wait for this film to end, it was so drawn out,, no action whatsoever, he hardly even makes an attempt to get out of his mess. he just says, oh it will get better, well folksy the movie never did get better to say the least, and that's an understatement. At least the other movie on this disc was great, Family Enforcer, I think that Joe Pesci is more comfortable in a supporting role , than say a lead role, although i 'm almost positive he would do a better job than this movie here , all in all this movie really was horrible, won't watch again for a long long time.

Very odd Pesci vehicle where he sings and offers a low key performance. Many of the other actors have never been in another movie.

It's a strange slow moving character driven movie. Also notable for it's street scenes of a changing Manhattan and Bronx landscape of the early 80s. Compounding it's oddity, the movie is made by some German company and actually won an award in Germany. Supposedly the opening scenes were in German but those are cut out of the version I saw. Very cheaply made.

I enjoy Joe Pesci and so I wanted to see this film which was one of his early breakout roles.

well I'm sorry to say, I wouldn't watch this movie with company, at least. It was terribly depressing. It will drive you to drink. I don't think we even finished it. It had a glitch somewhere near the end (it had syncing problems with the sound all the way through, so when it glitched near the end we called it quits). I don't even know how it ends, and I don't care. too depressing. just trust me on this one. if life already depresses you, even a little bit, you don't need this movie.

New Jersey lounge singer Joe Pesci (as Ruby Dennis) dreams of making it big in Las Vegas. Arguably acting as a surrogate "man of the house" (or, apartment), Mr. Pesci lives with his sister Karen Ludwig (as Paula) and her son Evan Handler (as Raymond). Pesci owns a business that is both a bowling alley and nightclub showcase for his Vegas-style singing. He wears a toupee and carries a song, a drink and a smoke. However, Pesci is only a shadow of entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Martin (who appears in a cameo). While Pesci struggles to maintain his business, nephew Handler is tempted by underworld activities...

Director Peter Lilienthal had a limited budget to work with, clearly, and it gives this story a gritty look. Unfortunately, the character Pesci plays is not very appealing. It would help if we felt sorry for him and his obviously hopeless dream. The character profile is sympathetic, but this is not the impression he introduces; later, the situation helps make up some of the difference. An unbelievable romance between Pesci and attractive young Ivy Ray Browning (as Sharon) falls short. Pesci is the big star, but Handler and Ms. Ludwig are the more interesting characters. She leaves the set too often, but both Ludwig and Handler help maintain interest.

***** Dear Mr. Wonderful (8/24/82) Peter Lilienthal ~ Joe Pesci, Evan Handler, Karen Ludwig, Ivy Ray Browning

1st watched 4/26/2010 -- 6 out of 10(Dir-Peter Lilenthal): Cheaply filmed but well acted and interesting story about a wannabe Las Vegas lounge-type singer played by Joe Pesci as he lives out his New York city existence. He sings at a bowling alley that he owns which has 22 lanes and a bar at the end where he does his nightly act. The story is about his family -- including his sister and her son(whom he occasionally lives with), their Jewish life(including a barmitsfa), mob forces that they deal with on a daily basis and his infatuation with a girl singer in the club. This is kind of a slice of life movie that seems to be filmed with a leading towards improvisation in the performances and has a documentary style look and feel. You find out little bits and pieces about the characters as the story progresses but you have to be patient and pay attention partly because of the bad sound in this low-budget film or you'll miss things. The acting is excellent and the story keeps you interested and there are so many characters in the film that the whole thing could have been made into a TV series or at least a mini-series to cover everything. The ending is kind of abrupt and only hints at what may happen to Ruby(the main character) but I have to recommend this movie because you learn to care about the characters as it progresses. A different character for Pesci, but he plays it very well and it shows his versatility as an actor. Don't miss this one if you'd like to see all his work -- including this nice jump away from the Hollywood mainstream.