The Rachel Papers

I confess: I only watched this movie because a friend of mine told Ione Skye took her clothes off in it. Well, I may not have watched it with the best intentions, but I ended up liking the movie for a lot more than Ione's breasts.

I had a similar relationship at about that time (nerd wins over babe, finds out she's rather annoying) so I could identify with this film.

One scene really got to me (in a good way). Rachel has just climbed into a taxi, but the window is down. Charles finally works up the nerve to try to kiss her through the window. Just as his lips are about to meet hers, the cab pulls away. The look on his face is pitiful but then you see her beautiful smile. A magical scene if ever there was one!

Oh yeah, Ione Skye DOES take her clothes off repeatedly in this movie, so guys who don't go for this sort of thing might give it a chance and be pleasantly surprised. I was.

The first film to be adapted from a Martin Amis novel, this cute film stars Dexter Fletcher as Charles Highway, a super-suave young man studying for his Oxford entrance exams. At a nightclub, he spots Rachel Noyce, played by Ione Skye, and he spends the majority of the film trying to pry her away from her beau. The main problem with this film is that Highway is played too much like Ferris Bueller-he even monologues directly to the camera. The novel's very bleak ending was toned down a bit, and the title is a little misleading, as all of his "female papers" are actually composed on a computer in the film. Jonathan Pryce is hilarious in his fleeting scenes.

This one was an odd, passionate and snappy one, and it's very much more than just a basic teenage love comedy, but it does feel a like a British take on 'Ferris Bueller'. Based on Martin Amis' best seller of the same title, 'The Rachel Papers' is a sensually breezy and topically substantial film adaptation that's poetically told (with plenty of rapid narrative talk to the audience, following the mature progression of our protagonist and cementing a realistic affection between Fletcher and Skye's characters), sharply directed by Damian Harris and terrifically performed by the charmingly gawky Dexter Fletcher, the ravishingly delightful Ione Skye (where she seductively entices the viewer with her beauty) and the scruffy, but useful Jonathan Pryce (who pretty much steals the limelight and well-timed laughs). Also appearing is James Spader, but the role doesn't instill much from him to make an impression. The soundtrack is potent with the time, but the score blends well the drama going on and it's smoothly photographed. A sexy contemporary, but heartfelt feature.

Charles Highway (Dexter Fletcher) sees himself as a player and keeps girls' info in his computer. He has worked out strategies to get girls. He lives with his sister Jenny and her oddball husband Norman (Jonathan Pryce). He is completely taken by mysterious American Rachel Noyce (Ione Skye). She doesn't seem interested but he's persistent. He thinks he has a date with her but then her boyfriend Deforest (James Spader) shows up. Norman convinces him to continue persistence.

This is a pretty simple romance. Dexter Fletcher plays a Ferris Bueller wannabe and he fits the role very well. I can see how girls would find him charming but he's not suave. Ione Skye is a great smart sexy girlfriend material as shown in "Say Anything..." which came out around the same time. She seems really deep and mature for her age. The two of them make this a nice sexy romance and I love the bittersweet ending.

Dexter Fletcher stars as Charles Highway. A young man with serious problems with relationships. Until he meets Rachel Noyce(Ione Syke). A sexy, young woman, whose boyfriend is none other than James Spader.

Fletcher is adequate in his post 'Lock Stock' career, but the person who steals every scene with his unusual style of comedy, is Jonathon Pryce, as Charles' brother in law, Norman.

The story is somewhat predictable in parts, but manages to stay watchable for the entire time. Rating=3/5