Los Angeles Story

LA STORY is one of those films that leaves you feeling like maybe you shouldn't have enjoyed the movie as much as you did. Looking back on the film, the plot is absolutely preposterous, the characters are entirely one-dimensional and the acting questionable. Yet I don't think there is anyone out there that wouldn't ultimately enjoy this fantasy.

Steve Martin is in top form (maybe the last decent film he did before BOWFINGER), and the wacky charm throughout makes the comedy fresh and exciting. Tremendous cameo support from the likes of Chevy Chase, Rick Moranis and Woody Harrellson add to make LA STORY a fresh comedy with lots of appeal.

In Los Angeles, the meteorologist Harris K. Telemacher (Steve Martin) is the wacky weatherman of television news. He has a wasted relationship with his obnoxious girlfriend Trudi (Marilu Henner) and he feel that he lives a boring life.

When Harris meets the Londoner journalist Sara McDowell (Victoria Tennant), who has come to LA to write en article for the London Times, in a brunch party with her ex-husband Roland Mackey (Richard E. Grant) and other friends, he believes that she is the woman of his life. Harris does not know how to seduce her and he discovers that Trudi has been cheating him with his agent for three years. Then Harry dates the younger aspirant spokesmodel SanDeE* (Sarah Jessica Parker) because he believes that Sara is interested in her ex-husband. However a freeway signpost helps Harry to woo Sara.

"L.A. Story" is a romantic comedy that is still delightful and witty after so many years from the release. The chemistry between Steve Martin and his wife is perfect and there are hilarious dialogs and situations, like for example, when Harris tells Sara that he would like to take her on a cultural tour of L.A., and Sara replies that this would be the first fifteen minutes. Or when he tells to SanDeE* that her breasts are weird and she answers that it is because they are real. Or when SanDeE* and Roland fantasize with Mel Gibson. In addition, there are cameos of many actors and famous people. The music score by Enya is awesome and fits perfectly to the conclusion. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "L.A. Story"

Quite similar to Woody Allen's Manhattan, and not quite as good, but pretty close to it. Steve Martin stands for comedy, and this movie is filled with jokes; some very funny others pretty stupid. What I like the most with this film is the acting of Sarah Jessica Parker; she is SO great. Overall, highly watchable.

7 or 8 out of 10.

LA Story is a funny and very inventive comedy drama, even though the real love affair is with LA itself. When looking at the storyline, it does look a bit odd, (man receiving love advice from a freeway sign?) but this helps give it a more surreal and somewhat magical edge.

The acting is very good all across the board, even from a non-man-eating Sarah Jessica Parker. It has a lot of quotable dialogue, (she's not young she'll be 27 in 4 years) and some passable cameos from Rick Moranis, Patrick Stewart and Chevy Chase.

Perhaps some scenes get a bit too sentimental and make the film seem a bit uneven. But I think this helps improve the shape of its overall atmosphere, and make it heart-warming and not just a bit of gas.

LA Story is an underrated classic. It's consistently enjoyable, nicely acted and highly memorable. 7.5 out of 10.

L.A. Story is a tremendous romantic comedy just a notch below Moulon Rouge or High Fidelity, and similar to Roxanne. There are a lot of in-jokes for Californians, but I found the comedy accessible. The film is really stronger on the romance side, and has something to say about people who are somewhat phony and put up barriers to the world. As with Roxanne there is a little classic literature dropped in. There are quite a few cheesy moments where the lack of sophistication in the characters and plot does show. But there are also powerful, moving scenes, such as linking falling in love to the awe and wonder of childhood, and the airplane scene which brought tears to my eyes. And that's quite something; I almost never cry at the movies!

And of course, I loved the music by Enya! Check it out.

Who should see this film:

-- romantic comedy goers, a must see

-- action film guys like me, it's OK to see it with your SO (but see if you can get her to see Enemy at the Gate, too)

I'll give L.A. Story a surpassed-its-original-expectations 9 out of 10.