You won't be disappointed!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

As Good As It Gets

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Having a film with Michelle Pfeiffer, Al Pacino and one of my all time favorites - Kate Nelligan, all directed by Garry Marshall (of the Pretty Woman fame) would seem like a no-brainer. I mean, how could things go wrong right? But, boy, did they ever go wrong, and I mean, wrong with a capital W, R, O, N and G! I have gone through seven circles of hell watching this horrible excuse for a film. The only thing that kept me going was not even Pfeiffer or Pacino, but gorgeous and incredibly talented Nelligan. Ever time the film managed to disappoint me, which happened every other minute, I was hoping for another scene with Kate Nelligan. What an actress... simply marvelous. But, everything else, absolutely sucked. The story is non-existent, but one should not even attempt to hint at it because it would automatically result in spoilers - that's how little of a story there is. This sorry excuse for a film starts with Al Pacino trying to get Michelle Pfeiffer interested in him. She has some strange form of a Borderline personality disorder, which may have been interesting to the writer, but it was so poorly portrayed in the film that it did not work at all (because it was not believable and it was presented inaccurately). He, on the other hand, suffers from inexhaustible and unrealistic amount of optimism. I mean, talk about white knight syndrome! He is trying to save her from whatever her inner demons may be, and she is constantly rejecting him. And that goes on and on, and on, and on, and on, and on for some 1 hour and 25 minutes of this film. The attraction-rejection starts around the 10-15 min mark and goes on until the very end. Each rejection is like a 10-15 minute game, so imagine how many times you get to see the same scene played out all over again. Just horrendous. And to think that ANYONE would believe that that type of torture would work as a film? This film has managed to prove to me that Hollywood filmmaking is purely based on chance. I can guarantee that no one who made a decision that this film should be made had used their brains; no, they must have had a pile of screenplays, and they threw a dart and it landed on this steaming pile of dung. And that's why it was made. There is no other option, believe me. I managed to stay until the bitter end, at first hoping for some satisfactory resolution, but later just to test my patience. The ending failed too, but as it was getting closer to it, I figured there will be nothing better in the end than before it. All in all, watch it only to see HOW NOT TO CREATE A STORY. It does not matter that it is supposedly a love story. It could have been any type of a story - it should simply never "evolve" this way, and the characters should never be written the way they were. Dialogues were atrocious. Characters incredibly unbelievable, with exception of Kate Nelligan's (who managed to save it somehow). Story was still born from the start and never moved anywhere. Various random scenes were thrown in for good measure or to try and break up the monotony. The mood is somber and it never changes. The characters have no arc, and nothing goes anywhere. This is one boring, depressing, incredibly dumb, immature, psychotic story put on screen by accident. No one in their right mind would want to make this film I guarantee you. What a shame, because with that cast and money, one would expect at least a mediocre result, but that was not the case here. Not even close to mediocre. Not even bad. Hardly terrible. More like - run away and run fast, and never look back. Just god awful in every way imaginable.

Frankie and Johnny is a film directed by Garry Marshall.It features Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer together with Hector Elizondo, Nathan Lane and Kate Nelligan.The screenplay was adapted by Terrence McNally from his own off-Broadway play Frankie and Johnny.While serving an 18-month sentence on a forgery charge, Johnny discovers the joys of cooking and classical literature. Upon his release, he is hired by gruff but good-hearted New York diner owner Nick. Also working for Nick is a waitress named Frankie. When Johnny expresses interest in Frankie, she keeps him at arm's length, her mistrust of men stemming from an unmentioned but obviously traumatic experience in her past. Eventually, however, Frankie and Johnny do get together, their curious relationship setting the stage for a dramatic denouement wherein both lovers bare their souls.The movie version of Terrence McNally's play is a sweet-tempered romantic comedy whose main characters are a New York coffee-shop waitress and a short-order cook. Pacino brings out the comedy and the ambiguity of a middle-aged man's sense of emotional rebirth: he's exuberant, touching, and a little scary. And Pfeiffer is extraordinary; her Frankie is a superbly detailed rendering of a woman with a fanatically conservative heart. The strength of the play was its simplicity and its directness; the movie preserves those qualities by telling the story in the ordinary, straightforward Hollywood manner. This is an absolutely delightful and tender romantic comedy as it succeeds so well because of the great, very real performances by the two leads and the smart and often hilarious dialogue.

A popular Broadway romantic comedy is transformed by star treatment into Grade-A Hollywood fluff: well crafted, undemanding, and totally predictable. One requirement of the face lift was the casting of the more fashionably attractive (i.e. more bankable) Michelle Pfeiffer in a role designed originally for Kathy Bates, a move which drew criticism from viewers unfamiliar with Hollywood means and methods. Big movies need big stars, who in turn need to protect their fragile reputations, so the revamped character of Frankie, supposedly slinging hash in a New York City deli, is now a disappointed romantic unaware that Prince Charming (in the unpolished guise of a short-order cook) is about to rescue her. Al Pacino's Johnny is likewise simply too perfect: everyone adores him on sight, so it's only a matter of time before Frankie learns to do the same. But, character quibbles aside, the film works very well on its own terms, and writer Terrance McNally has to be commended for opening up his play in a way that effectively conceals its stage origins.

I only bought the DVD of "Frankie and Johnny" recently, and already it is one of my ultimate favourite films. The story is heartwarming and totally believable, and the acting is superb. Michelle Pfeiffer is wonderful as Frankie, a waitress, who is done with dating. Al Pacino is great as Johnny, a chef who falls in love with Frankie. Both lead actors are superb in their parts, and the supporting cast are laugh out loud hilarious: Jane Morris is so funny as Nedda, a waitress, and Nathan Lane is so good as Frankie's best friend, Tim. He makes me want a friend like him! Also, the character: Frankie reminded me of myself. "Frankie and Johnny" made me laugh a lot, and it also made me cry when Frankie is sitting on her bed with Johnny, crying over not being able to have kids. "Frankie and Johnny" is an amazing film, with characters you can really relate to. Watch it and don't miss out!