Lune de miel à Las Vegas

It has been years since I've seen Honeymoon in Vegas, and while it wasn't as hilarious as I remembered it to be, it's still a charming romantic comedy. The unique combination of Nicholas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Caan, and a bunch of Elvis impersonators seems like a strange one, but it actually works. Go ahead and roll the dice on this ridiculous movie, you may actually enjoy it.

After seeing the movie about 7 or 8 times, some of the laughs have worn out, but I still have fun watching it. You can't completely negate a movie that involves a desperate man who tries to gain back the love of his fiance by jumping out of a plane dressed like Elvis. The flying Elvises concept is definitely an original touch, but there are others as well. I like the running gag involving Robert Costanzo suspecting that his fat, ugly wife is cheating on him with Mike Tyson because of obviously doctored photos of her and Iron Mike. There's also that great scene with the 5-year-old Elvis impersonator, who's actually quite good. Anne Bancroft makes a brief but funny appearance at the beginning of the film. Peter Boyle also has a funny cameo as Chief Orman, an Indian Chief who has a love for showtunes. James Caan gives his usually savvy performance. I could've done without the cliched fat henchman character, who basically repeats everything that Caan says and bumbles all over the place. Nicolas Cage is over-the-top as the paranoid Jack, but his overacting works in the context of the film, and he's often very funny. And finally, who can resist a film with tons of Elvis songs in the soundtrack?

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Honeymoon in Vegas is a charming little romantic comedy directed by Andrew Bergman, which sees him working with Nicolas Cage for the first time. Two years later would seem them collaborate once more with "It Could Happen To You", a film that is equally as funny and equally as under-appreciated. The pair work really well together as Bergman's style of comedy utilises what makes Cage such a good actor, his ability to portray anxiety in a way that makes you laugh and yet still be fully sympathetic with his plight.

In a pretty high concept plot, Cage plays a private detective, haunted with dreams of his dead mother, who is in a long term relationship with a teacher played by Sarah Jessica Parker but is afraid to tie the knot. Relationship troubles persuade Cage to take the plunge, deciding to head off to Vegas to get married as fast as possible before he is able to change his mind. The comedy really kicks in when James Caan's character, a wealthy professional gambler, spots Cage's fiancée and decides to pursue her himself using the most underhand of tactics as she looks similar to his recently deceased wife.

Granted, the premise might not be the most edgy or original of ones but it consistently manages to serve up some really funny moments. Towards the end it starts to slightly go off the boil with James Caan's character seeming to change in a way that seems geared to reach a resolution rather than unfold naturally. This problem only really briefly manifests itself in places throughout the last fifteen minutes of the film, but can't really detract from the heartwarming climax involving a planeload of skydiving Elvises.

If you are looking for a goofy comedy to watch that you don't need to think about a great deal then you'll not do much better than Honeymoon in Vegas. If you are still not convinced then watch it because Sarah Jessica Parker spends a lot of the time scantily clad, and this is before she looked like some genetic engineering atrocity where the DNA of a horse was spliced with a prune.

Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is a private investigator dealing with many broken relationships. He promised his mother on her deathbed never to get married. His 2nd grade teacher girlfriend Betsy Nolan (Sarah Jessica Parker) pressures him into marrying her. They go to Vegas where she catches the eye of hard gambler Tommy Korman (James Caan). She reminds him of his wife Donna. Tommy wins $65k from Jack in a rigged poker game. Tommy gets Donna to spend a weekend in exchange for erasing the debt.

This is all Jack's fault. Tommy is a shark but Jack is the one who took Tommy's money instead of walking away. It would be better for the story if both Jack and Betsy are at the game. Also it would be better if Jack borrows the money only after getting the hand. After the setup, the chase has a few fun moments. A manic Cage is always interesting. Caan is terrific as a tough guy. The start is a little wonky but Sarah Jessica Parker yelling that he made her into a whore is pretty funny. There are some sporadic laughs.

Writer/director Andrew Bergman offers a humorous take on romance and the consequences of procrastinating when it comes to commitment, in `Honeymoon In Vegas,' a comedy of love, loyalty, longing and an airplane filled with skydiving Elvis impersonators. Nicolas Cage stars as Jack Singer, a guy in love but hampered by a promise he may or may not have made to his mother, Bea (Anne Bancroft), on her deathbed, which causes him to drag his heels on the path to the altar. When he finally manages a breakthrough, he spirits his girl, Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker), off to Las Vegas with the intention of tying the knot once and for all. But before the plan can come to fruition, enter professional gambler (and widower) Tommy Korman (James Caan), who spots Betsy in the lobby of a hotel. what follows involves something of a twist in plot, but suffice to say, Jack is about to face a personal baptism by fire. And Betsy may be the flame, but Korman is the flint. It's an amusing comedy that never gets too deep beneath the surface or purports to be anything but what it is, though the plot does dip in to a bit of a gray area, morally speaking. The performances are good all around, though nothing here is anything approaching a stretch for any of the principals involved. Cage conveys the angst of his situation with aplomb, and employs that hang-dog look he does so well to great effect while his emotions implode. Parker looks fetching and makes a credible character of Betsy, but even though the action revolves around her there is not a whole lot for her to sink her teeth into with this part. But to her credit she handles what she is given to work with convincingly enough. Caan looks every bit the part of Korman; in fact, to put this part over he had little more to do than show up. Even at that, there are times when he takes it just a trifle over the top. The supporting cast includes Pat Morita (Mahi Mahi), Johnny Williams (Johnny Sandwich), Seymour Cassel (Tony Cataracts) and Peter Boyle, who creates one of the more memorable scenes in the movie, as Chief Orman. With `Honeymoon In Vegas,' Bergman has put together a film that, while not entirely memorable, is good for some laughs (the highlight of which is when Jack must of necessity interact with the flying Elvis impersonators). In the end, with some popcorn and a little imagination, for Cage fans especially, this movie will make for a satisfying evenings entertainment. I rate this one 6/10.