Divine mais dangereuse

"One Night At McCools" is the kind of movie that you start watching and don't expect very much. It helps to first check your brains at the door or at the side of the couch. But, much to your surprise, the movie is a winner. It's a delightful film about four whacky characters that are so driven by their out-of-control basic instincts that you have to follow their trail and laugh along at them. And most of their instincts revolve around sex. Liv Tyler, playing the irresistible Jewell, delivers with little left to your imagination. In one of the sexiest performances I've seen on film in years, Liv keeps all men hot and aroused, both on and off the screen. Paul Reiser and John Goodman had some hysterical moments as two guys who are willing to give up everything for the woman of their dreams. And Matt Dillon did a fine job as the loser who had nothing going for him, but got sucked into the sex and violent world of the only woman who would give him the time of day. There was an unusual, for him, performance by Michael Douglas, as the con man and recipient of the long narrative tale told by Matt Dillon. It seemed that Michael was there to oversee the film, allowing the rest of the fine cast to do their thing and get the accolades. He played it very low key, which was perfect for a guy who's not known as a comedic actor. So get yourselves ready for a very funny, light, and fast-paced sex romp. It'll be one enjoyable night.

One Night At McCool's:

I recently began to wonder how long it had been since a movie had really made me laugh. Not just smile, but bust a gut, wipe tears out of my eyes, clutch my side, think I'm going to stop breathing, roar with laughter. Frighteningly enough I realized it had been months. Ever since "There's Something About Mary", directors and writers have equated super gross-out with funny. However, the recent spate of disastrous "comedies" - "Tomcats" and "Freddie Got Fingered" instantly come to mind- have hopefully shown just how wrong this thinking is. Does anyone in Hollywood remember how to make a good comedy? I'm still undecided.

Jewel is the kind of woman that every man wishes for: tall, gorgeous, aggressive and a "demon in the sack". Unfortunately as the saying goes, if something seems too good to be true… Jewel's charms are backed up by a penchant for philandering, double cross and murder. After one night at a back street dive of a bar, three unlucky men - a bartender, a lawyer and a police officer - learn what it's like to have there prayers and worst nightmares come true when they're caught up in her whirlwind.

"One Night at McCool's" plays like the Japanese classic "Rashomon" -different people recount their experiences of the same event and we're never quite sure which one to believe. This movie marks the breakout performance of Liv Tyler both literally and figuratively - as Jewel she is practically spilling out of her clothing, and abandons her innocent persona delivering one of the best vixen performances in recent memory. She is positively wicked. Matt Dillon is enjoyable as the pitiable sop who, although his life is destroyed by her conniving, can't seem to let her go. Paul Reiser manages not to be too annoying as a sleazy lawyer, while John Goodman, who seems to be wheezing through his lines, is quite distracting. Michael Douglas' turn as a slimy coifed contract killer with an agenda all his own is quite amusing and you want to take a shower every time he is onscreen. Andrew Dice Clay (remember him?) and Reba McEntire round out the cast with decent performances.

Aside from the aforementioned movie reference, "One Night at McCool's" borrows liberally from such classic films as "Coolhand Luke" and "Falling Down". While I enjoyed these and other manipulations, the movie spends a little too much time trying to be clever and consequently suffers from several noticeable lulls. What I found most disappointing however was the "surprise" ending that many people have commented on - although I did laugh at it, the effect would have been much greater if it had not been revealed in the trailers (on the off chance you have not seen them, I will say no more)!! I laughed nonetheless.

"McCool's" succeeds largely because it is subtle, well acted and most importantly, funny.

"One Night at McCool's" is one of those quirky films that comes out quite interesting. It portrays a young woman (Liv Tyler) crossing paths with three lonely men (Matt Dillon, John Goodman, Paul Reiser) and turning their lives upside down. Throughout most of the movie, you sort of wonder where it's going, but the hilarious end is sure to blow you away. It sure blew me away.

Maybe this movie isn't really anything special, but it's pretty neat. Sort of a look at how small things can proliferate. Also starring Michael Douglas, Reba McEntire and Andrew Dice Clay.

And one more thing: after watching this movie, you may feel tempted to spend the next few days singing "YMCA".

This movie is never going to be on a list of the top 50 films of all time, but if you're compiling a list of "fun films", this isn't a bad place to start. Liv Tyler is amazing, captivating and luscious, and everyone else is dead-on right for their parts. It's a 21st century counterpart to "Tom Jones" -- in other words; just good, bawdy fun. I think that this may be Tyler's breakthrough film on her way to major stardom. With no nudity she oozes sex in this film. It's no wonder all the boys give her toys. How could they help but do that for a helpless, innocent such as Liv's Jewel?

This is a very good black comedy, with a great view on how different people have a different perception of the same situations. The three main characters each met a girl named Jewel, played by Liv Tyler, who is a different male fantasy for each of the three men. Each of the three men go through the same situations, but when they tell of them to other people, their perception of the situation is very different from what the other two say. That is a very good concept, probably not entirely original but it works very well in the movie. The plot is very good, very bizarre and extreme, which makes it a good black comedy. The acting is equally good, not one of the actors seemed out of place or out of their league. The comedy is very black, pitch black in some scenes, and a lot of people will definitely be offended by it, but fans of black comedy will probably enjoy it. Overall, this movie is not for everyone's taste, but most people who like black comedy will probably love it, as it is definitely one of the better black comedies. 7/10