The Leading Man

This was a below-average soap opera about British actors and general low-life people. The worst of them all was the lone American, played by singer Jon Bon Jovi, who did a decent job of acting, playing the part of American movie star "Robin Grange."

Lambert Mason playing British playwright "Felix Webb" is the other main guy. He's an adulterer and one who gets caught up with his mistress demanding things. It's the usual story of the younger mistress demanding the older man can his wife and settle down with her. Yawn! How many times have we seen that?

It winds up being a soap opera about so-and-so fooling around with people they shouldn't, observers seeing all of this and putting their two cents in, and .......well, I might as well not spoil it for anyone who likes this sort of thing.

The main problem with the movie, in my opinion and in a nutshell, was that it was boring and it had too many characters one simply doesn't care about. Add those two negatives up and a you get a "not recommended" film.

This was a very decent movie on a very indecent topic, right up until the end. Unfortunately, the final plot twists leave you scratching your head and asking yourself, "What's wrong with this picture?" (pardon the pun). Still worth watching, but be warned, it will leave you twisted.

The center of this film is the interesting performance of Jon Bon Jovi as a somewhat mysterious actor who is portraying a hit man in a play written by Lambert Wilson. Bon Jovi is very effective and keeps you guessing throughout. Wilson is excellent as a confused playwright half in love with an ingenue but who finds, when the chips are down, that he's not quite ready to give up his wife. With such an attractive cast and wondering about the motives of Jon Bon Jovi, the movie is quite intriguing, though draggy in parts.

When I watched this I enjoyed the plot and the fact that any twists in the story were emotional twists (people's feelings and motives being revealed - sometimes to the person themselves). However I felt that John Bon Jovi was not quite right in the main role and his dialogue sometimes sounded like he was reading it. However the other main roles of playwright, his wife and his lover were well played and fitted their roles well.

Overall the film is enjoyable and sensuous. It's a story where all the action takes place in people's hearts - so if you're into that sort of drama then this should be for you.

The Leading Man cast Jon Bon Jovi as a charming seducer willing to help a friend for consideration. Bon Jovi was looking to spread his wings a little and try straight acting like Crosby and Sinatra did as the best examples of singers who expanded their careers.

In fact Bon Jovi is in London after suffering a discreet blacklist involving him bedding the wife of some studio executive. He's hoping to jumpstart his career again on the London stage. He's in a play that Lambert Wilson wrote, in fact in the title role of The Hit Man.

Wilson has his problems, he's falling in love with his leading lady Thandie Newton. No problem, Bon Jovi offers to nail Wilson's wife Anna Gallena for favors to be named later. It works like a charm.

I have to say that the climax which occurs at the premier of the play and the aftermath kind of fooled me. Which is the mark of a good film in my humble opinion. Bon Jovi did a good job in the lead and got good support from the other three in the foursided triangle. In fact he went above and beyond the call of duty.

Two others to note in the cast are Barry Humphries as the director and veteran actor David Warner as a veteran actor.

Looking at his credits I see Bon Jovi decided to concentrate on music, his career choice.