Just One Night

12 August 2012. This offbeat and quirky movie is a Lost In Translation (2003) with an evolving love comedy set in San Francisco. What makes this movie stand out is both is mundane, rather slow moving but in some ways authentic snippets of events that the two main characters as well as supporting characters find themselves in. There is a genuineness of place and of experience that one can relate to in the very normal strangeness that seems to beset our couple here. The audience gets to be a voyeuristic observer in a journey of one night where change occurs and becomes the very essence of the movie. If one is carefully engaged in this movie and open to it, one can one away transformed in a meaningful way, something most movies don't or are unable to do. Timothy Hutton performs well in a duel personality of both dispassionate scientist and befuddled everyman in an Alice in Wonderland way.

Isaac is a science professor in San Francisco to give a speech about how there is no such thing as beauty because it doesn't last. He hasn't met Aurora, though. And he's about to get married but doesn't seem all that enthusiastic about the idea. Immediately after the speech he has to fly back to New York for the wedding.

Tali is a quirky and pretty hooker who was supposed to go to Arthur's room next to Isaac's. After her misadventures cause Isaac's one pair of good shoes to get messed up, he puts them out in the hall to be shined. For some reason he ends up with only one shoe.

In the process of trying to find the other shoe, he meets Aurora, who wants to leave ... no, KILL ... her abusive husband Walter. The two spend a lot of time together and learn a lot about each other and about themselves. Aurora likes to have fun while Isaac is cynical. Arthur and Tali also have a good time together and Arthur, who is overly enthusiastic about dumpsters because his company makes them, reveals a lot about himself. He has such a positive attitude, despite his bad luck with women.

A crime is committed and someone ends up in jail. It's really funny, but not always funny. It is always entertaining.

And we have one of those Hollywood endings you just wouldn't expect in real life. Really exciting, romantic, outrageous.

Timothy Hutton and Maria Grazia Cucinotta both do a very good job. And Cucinotta is gorgeous too.

Natalie Shaw is so adorable and funny, plus there is this great song that gets played almost every time she is on screen.

Udo Kier's abusive husband is written more intelligently than the average abusive husband. And he delivers a more complex performance than one might expect.

Robert Easton has only a couple of lines, but they're great. It's one thing to be drunk. It's another to forget you're driving.

And Don Novello is memorable as a philosophical drifter. He is so laid-back so it's a shame he runs into the jealous Walter.

There's only one security guard in the credits, so that would be Bobby Cooper. His reaction to the crime he witnesses is very unusual. But it's all fun, really. At first. Later there will be a price to be paid.

Animation during the opening credits and between scenes adds to the cute factor.

And one of the best things about this film is the music. There's something for almost everyone--most of the music is jazz or smooth jazz. There's a difference.

This is really worth seeing.

This movie (if you can call it that: where's the plot, the drama, the suspense, the COMEDY for goodness sake?!) is the worst piece of dreck I have seen in lord knows how long. Does this guy think he is profound? All the idiot references to time and space? This is like a paint by numbers diagram of a four year old's take on philosophy ... only done with dull grey paint... on tracing paper! Blathering on ... the actors are disconnected and uninvolved. The direction is oppressive and just moronic. This is not a movie. Cucinotta tries, but at least her previous directors had the horse sense to get her naked to some degree. Hutton is a bore. Seymour Cassel is wasted. Udo Kier is entirely miscast (and can't act). Natalie Shaw likewise can't act (she too should take off her clothes ... though I doubt it would help, her acting is so bad (though I am available for a date ... if she doesn't talk and does what I say!)). And was that Michael O'Keefe or Don Novello doing the bad Kevin Spacey imitation?! Alan Jacobs should go bring his prosaic overwrought approach to some career more suitable ... like ... like ... oh lord ... I don't want to insult anyone (else)! He should just stop directing. This movie doesn't even show a little creative soul. It's pretentiously vacant. Can you rate a "film" with negative numbers ... for sucking away your spirit and time? Argh!

"Just One Night" tells of a professor (Hutton), in San Francisco for one night before his pending nuptials, who loses a shoe and, while in search of same, hooks up with a voluptuous disgruntled Italian wife (Cucinotta) and spends the night with her wandering around bumping into quirky characters, philosophizing, etc. while looking for the shoe and falling into friendship somewhat more than platonic. This fun, light hearted and easy going little romp starts slow. Those with patience will be rewarded as the film does gather momentum and sorts itself out in a most delightful way in the end. A journeyman flick at best, "Just One Night" is pleasing, simple no-brainer entertainment-lite for bored romantics.

I caught the last half of this movie, but thought it was quirky enough to watch it finish... I intend on renting it to see the entirety.

I especially liked the animation between major scenes, looked like painted representations of the building, or vehicle the cast were in...

The female lead in this is, well, hot... hot....hot!!!!!! Poetic way to depict how two people can be drawn together for a night even though they may never see each other again... gives us a taste of that magic.

I'm going to rent it, you should too!