Amazon.com
Exuding the charm and grace for which he seems to hold the patent, Peter O'Toole plays Doctor Harry Wolper, a renowned research biologist whose pet project is to clone his sorely missed wife, dead now for 30 years. Assisting him in fine fashion are Meli (Mariel Hemingway), a self-proclaimed 19-year-old nymphomaniac bent on capturing the affections of Dr. Wolper, and a research assistant (Vincent Spano), whose love interest is fellow student Virgina Madsen. This sweet and enjoyable romantic comedy is brought to a head when the Madsen character drops suddenly into a coma. Then Wolper's nemesis, played almost lovably by David Ogden Stiers, thwarts his cloning attempts by reclaiming the stolen equipment he's using to do so. While Dr. Wolper preaches the beauty of The Big Picture as a way of apprehending life, this one is decidedly a small picture, but in the sense of being attuned to small details, probably owing to the foreign sensibilities of Czech director Ivan Passer (
Cutter's Way). The many disparate plot threads are eventually brought into harmony, though the sheer number of them may seem a jumble to many viewers. Better to let the big picture take care of itself, and content oneself with the many smaller pleasures this delightful film affords.
--Jim Gay
