Splash: Uma Sereia em Minha Vida

My brother bought this for me on DVD as a Christmas gift in 2006, every year on Valentine's Day I watch it because I'm a big fan of the romantic comedy genre.

Director Ron Howard with the help of writing team Babaloo Mandel & Lowell Ganz created a timeless, funny and enchanting romantic comedy that's so magical it's also classic. The cast is well selected, Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's brightest stars I remember seeing him on television as Kip Wilson from Bosom Buddies and Ned Donnelly from a few episodes of Family Ties. His portrayal of a lonely businessman who falls for a woman with a secret was comical and sweet.

Darryl Hannah is lovely and whimsical as the mermaid, she doesn't act like a dumb blonde but rather a curious beauty trying to navigate through a world she's never been in before. The chemistry between her & Hanks is smart & touching. John Candy's break out role as Freddie Bauer Allen's older, bachelor womanizing brother was a laugh a minute great. There's a memorable scene in which Allen, Freddie and Dr. Kornbluth played by the brilliant Eugene Levy make a rescue plan to save Madison. She tells him not to feel guilty about not loving her anymore, He says "Oh Madison". "All the time we were together, you always knew how I was feeling. Can't you tell now? then they kissed. The song Love Came For Me sung by Rita Coolidge during the part where the happy couple swims away together and while the credits rolled was a moving moment.

Splash is one of 1984's best films not just for the comedy but also for the romantic fantasy displayed,I'd give it a 6.9/10.

Splash is a really well-made Hollywood fantasy comedy, with early Tom Hanks already developing into the charismatic everyman and Darryl Hannah and John Candy at their best. But under the comedy and sweetness I have always thought there was a disturbing undertone of extreme pessimism--just what kind of ugly and cruel society do we live in, in which the mermaid Madison's only prospect is that she will be tortured, from which Hanks' character ultimately has to flee, never to see his beloved brother again? (The same dark undertone is even more pronounced, I think, in Ron Howard's next big hit Cocoon, where the old folks willingly escape an earth and families that don't seem to offer them anything anymore.)

SPLASH (1984) **** Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Shecky Greene. Excellent fantasy comedy directed by Ron Howard about produce salesman Hanks who, unbeknownst to him, falls in love with a mermaid (innocently played nicely by Hannah) in Manhattan and asking the immortal question: Is love blind? Superb support ably handled by Candy as Hanks' would-be swinging bachelor brother and Levy as a mad-as-a-hatter obsessed marine biologist intent on exposing Madison (named after the avenue). Best bits: Hanks' opening soliloquy about him not finding love in a bar and Hannah's gift of love: a water fountain.

Clever man meets mermaid comedy with Hanks fitting the bill as a lonely New York bachelor who falls in love with winsome mermaid Hannah. Candy is also delightful as Hanks' irresponsible brother. The script is very funny and director Howard has a wonderful eye for the sentimental and satiric.

I will admit there have been some romantic comedies I have not liked, and others I have. One thing for certain though, I adore Splash! It is a beautiful, charming and sweet romantic comedy that has quickly become a favourite of mine. For instance the whole film is beautifully shot, with lovely cinematography and stunning underwater sequences. Plus New York looks absolutely gorgeous here.

The music is also delightful. The song in the end credits was so beautiful, I nearly cried. Maybe it was also to do with how it is sung; the vocals were sublime, and never spoiled the mood of the song. The script is funny and touching, more the latter than the former, but who cares? There are still some funny parts of the movie. The direction from Ron Howard was secure and focused throughout.

There were so many charming scenes in Splash! The ending certainly was exactly that, and a bit of a tear jerker as well. Another charming scene that springs to mind was the ice skating scene. Not only how it was filmed, but also the music featured. A perfect choice of music for that particular scene, the Skaters Waltz. I also thought that the movie's length was perfect, and the pacing was just fine.

And I can't write this review without mentioning the performances. Every single person did a superb job. Tom Hanks is charismatic and likable enough and was perfectly cast as Allan Bauer, a successful businessman who falls in love with a beautiful mermaid named Maddison. Speaking of Maddison, didn't Daryl Hannah look gorgeous here? She is a generally ignored actress, and she was positively charming. Eugene Levy plays a sort of bad guy, and he is funny as well as detestable. However, the film's humour comes from the late John Candy who is hilarious as Allan's brother.

All in all, I adore this movie. Out of all the romantic comedies I have seen, this has to be the most charming and possibly irresistible. I have been vocal before about not trying to take IMDb ratings to heart, but 6.2 is too low for this movie. It does deserve a higher rating than that. While not the best movie ever made, it is certainly one of my all time favourite movies for a number of reasons. 10/10 Bethany Cox