Milliardaire malgré lui

Warm, enchanting, simply wonderful romantic comedy plays out like a fairy tale brought to life. Cage is a gracious, good-natured New York cop who wins the lotto, but against the wishes of his stingy, mercurial wife (Perez), he then splits it with a hard-luck waitress (Fonda) as repayment for not leaving a tip! Predictable every step of the way, and hard to believe (though it's purportedly based on a true story), but it's so well-performed, so irresistibly charming, so sweet and romantic that you really don't mind. Not only a good showcase for the film's ideal leads, but also a wholesome, kindhearted film that gives hope to the notion of human decency. ***

It Could Happen to You (1994)

*** (out of 4)

Nicolas Cage plays a poor cop who doesn't have enough money to leave a tip for a poor waitress (Bridget Fonda) but he promises to split his lottery winnings if he should happen to win. Sure enough he does win and he keeps his word to the waitress but before long his wife (Rosie Perez) leaves him and wants all the money.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU was based on an actual case and when the movie was first released it got a lot of press because of this. The film was a moderate box office success and it helped build that ladder, which would make Cage a star over the next couple of years. There's no question that the film is rather light entertainment but at the same time there's no denying that all three leads are wonderfully good in their roles.

The point of this movie was to be romantic and there's no question that happens very easily. I think the Perez character is such a dirty and mean person that it really makes the Cage and Fonda characters seem all the more charming and that credit has to go to the stars. Cage and Fonda have some wonderful chemistry together and there's no doubt that they really do light up the screen. When they smile at each other you really do feel as if there's a spark there. As for Perez, she's simply perfect in that way that only she can be.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU is certainly very predictable and there's no doubt that it's not a hard-hitting drama that takes a look at greed. The film wasn't meant to be that as it simple wanted to tell a cute story and it does that very well.

If you judge "It Could Happen to you" by its amount of realistic situations and characters, you'll probably give it a 4 out of 10. But, who cares about realism here? It's like a modern fairy tale, Frank Capra transported into the 90s. There's a wonderful storyline (Cop gives waitress a 2 million dollar tip), which apparently is even based on real-life events. Nicolas Cage plays the most honest cop imaginable, and he proves he can play a romantic lead role just as well as a dramatic action/thriller one. His character is not exactly 100 percent realistic, but that's not a problem, this is Hollywood for heaven's sake.

Even better than Cage is his female leading lady: the fascinating Bridget Fonda. Fonda is a wonderful actress who can play both a cute character like her waitress Yvonne here and more challenging roles like the LadyMacBeth-similar one in "A Simple Plan". Unfortunately she never had the career of a Julia Roberts but she is in fact more talented and better looking. Throughout the whole movie she gives a good performance and looks gorgeous. If I had the choice of giving a waitress the lottery money or not and the woman looked like Fonda I might even give it to her. Of course there aren't so many waitresses out there that look (and behave) as charming as her and chances are low I'll ever win two millions in the lottery.

Also notable is the wonderful chemistry between Cage and Fonda. As for the supporting roles special mention has to go to Perez. Although you wonder why Cage married her in the first place, she gives a humorous and entertaining performance. Of course there's kitsch but that's not necessarily bad. Good kitsch can be wonderful and this film, that has an absolutely great happy ending, serves as a perfect example of how a romantic comedy should be filmed. It's better than "Pretty Woman".

It Could Happen to You certainly meets any criteria for a good romantic comedy. It's got a handsome male lead (Nicolas Cage), a sweet damsel in distress (Bridget Fonda) and a villian (Rosie Perez). Add a plot that swivels between wonderful scenes of the interested parties falling in love and the chaos erupting from the bad woman with an attitude and you have a story that captures and holds the interest of the viewer. Isaac Hayes does a wonderful job narrating the story as it unfolds. This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to curl up in an easy chair and watch an adorable romantic comedy with some touching dramatic scenes.

Heart-warming little comedy that uses old Hollywood tactics to tell a fairy tale story that works really well on the big screen. New York cop Nicolas Cage does not have a tip for diner waitress Bridget Fonda so promises to split his earnings if he wins the state's lottery. Amazingly he does win. His share is $4 million and true to his word he gives half to Fonda to wife's Rosie Perez's dismay. Perez is the boss in a loveless marriage. Cage and Fonda then start to fall in love with each other and Perez decides to divorce Cage just out of spite and try to get the entire $4 million for herself. A really beautiful romantic film that works due to quiet, but highly effective performances by Cage and Fonda. Perez steals every scene here and the film's good screenplay makes it a nice success. 4 stars out of 5.