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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
sweet and funny early Keanu, February 18, 2002
This review is from: Tune in Tomorrow [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Based on Mario Vargas Llosa's semi-autobiographical novel "Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter", this is a charming film with some laughs, tenderness, and good performances. Peter Falk plays the highly imaginitive Pedro Carmichael, who writes radio soap operas. One of Pedro's plot devices is to pick a nation that he can blame everything on, and the lucky "country of the month" in his latest soap is Albania, which creates controversy, a huge audience, and eventual havoc. Some of the funniest moments in the film are when the soap opera "comes to life"...Dan Hedeya, as a one-eyed exterminator (watch for the neon rat over the front door of his mansion) is hilarious in his caricature of a crazed bigot. Barbara Hershey is excellent as the "older woman", and Keanu Reeves as Martin is utterly lovable in one of his most likable performances. He does well with his Louisiana accent, and portrays a youthful naivete that's engaging and believable...and oh my goodness, the man is a work of art. Total beauty in human form. One of my favorite scenes is between Martin and Pedro in the cafe, when Martin says: "I think I kinda want to be a writer...", and it's clever how the titles are read like an old radio show by Henry Gibson. The early 50's era is captured well in the art direction and Wynton Marsalis provides some terrific music. On the minus side, a few of Pedro's schemes are a little slow and weak, bogging the film down at times, but overall, if you're in the mood for some light and slightly off-beat entertainment, this might fit the bill.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty hilarious, and I'll never forget the Albanian jokes!, September 14, 2003
I laughed out loud so many times during this movie. It was truly a delight. It centers around a young writer (Reeves) who becomes smitten with his world-weary older aunt (well, aunt-by-marriage -- they are not blood relatives). Barbara Hershey plays the aunt, who plays the lovely 36-year-old divorcee who finds herself attracted to this sweet 21-year-old young man. She thinks she wants someone "older" and "dull," so she can have some stability in her life. But, as her sister tells her later -- "You won't change. You're too wild." So she ends up falling for this younger man who has dreams of being a writer in Paris. Their romance is sweet and heartfelt, but the true hilarity comes in the form of Peter Falk, who plays an extremely eccentric radio serial writer who is manipulating the whole town with his sensational writing. The town loves the tabloid-like melodrama he interjects into the plots; they are completely hooked. And Falk gets a lot of his ideas for the story by setting up Reeves and Hershey -- encouraging their romance (and then lifting big parts of their conversations to each other and putting it in the radio show). He also manipulates the whole town by targeting Albanians. Over and over, Albanian jokes. Albanian slander. The Albanians in town take notice! The absurdity of the overripe plots of the radio serial are absolutely *hilarious*. We are taken into the "world" of the radio serial plot, where actors Peter Gallagher, Dan Hedaya, Elizabeth McGovern, John Larroquette, and Hope Lange play the "fictional" characters come to life in everyone's imaginations. These scenes are particularly hilarious, especially when you learn to wait for the Albanian jokes to emerge. And you *know* that they will! One thing I will confess when I first heard about this movie: I was puzzled how they got the "incestuous" romance between Reeves' character and his "aunt" to work without creeping us all out. But, the "incest" thing quickly dispelled early in the movie. She's just an "aunt-in-law," of a sort. Not a "real" aunt. The story wouldn't have worked had she been a flesh-and-blood aunt, because we would have been too aware of the stigma that would exist in such a relationship. This was a sweet, unusual movie. I really enjoyed it. I recommend it. It's silly, slapstick, and wait for the wretched Albanian jokes!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great music, great cast, writing and Keanu!, February 14, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Tune in Tomorrow [VHS] (VHS Tape)
What a feast for the senses and mind! First of all Keanu Reeves is in it - but that is not the only reason this tape should be released in DVD format - it should be released because it has the following: 1) Great Music soundtrack that would do so well on a DVD format! Really gives a New Orleans feeling. Loved that jazzy/throaty female singer who was singing in one of the scenes. 2) The scriptwriting of a play within a play is so hilarious and outrageous - from the Albanian jokes, all the costume changes (bizarre) of the sciptwriter, the soap opera's various characters. The cast is made up of entirely entertaining individualistic characters, even those with small parts - have great comic details in their short time on screen (Keanu's screen aunt fluffing up her hair AND the plant leaves before she answers the door for example)- and Keanu Reeves is so fun and sweet as the totally smitten young man, slightly befuddled by the Peter Falk character's manipulations, plotting seduction! 4) Great chemistry between Keanu and Barbara Hershey!I think his best kiss is in this movie. 5) Get this movie - pray it comes out in DVD - that soundtrack deserves that kind of format - get some popcorn, invite your friends and watch it and laugh and laugh!
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