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After
Desperately Seeking Susan, Madonna was proclaimed a promising screen presence, but the one-two punch of
Shanghai Surprise and
Who's That Girl put a dent in her ascent. Directed by James Foley, who worked with Sean Penn in
At Close Range (and shot the video for "Papa Don’t Preach"), it's an aggressively 1980s gloss on the screwball comedies of the 1930s. Jonathan Demme pulled off the gambit in
Something Wild, but lightning did not strike twice. As the proceedings begin, platinum blonde bubblehead Nikki Finn (Madonna in Judy Holliday-gone-punk mode) has just been released from prison for a crime she didn't commit. Loudon Trott (Griffin Dunne,
After Hours), a fastidious tax attorney, is assigned by future father-in-law Mr. Worthington to make sure she gets on the bus to Philly. (Turns out Worthington was involved with Nikki's bid in the pokey.) Loudon is also charged with delivering a rare cougar to eccentric superior Montgomery Bell (Sir John Mills)--on the day before his nuptials. In short order, the cat escapes and Nikki drags Loudon away from his wedding preparations to clear her name. Along the way, these two diametrically opposed entities fall improbably in love. The movie may have bombed, but the soundtrack, featuring four Madonna tracks, was a hit. Co-written by Ken Finkleman (
The Newsroom) and lensed by Jan DeBont (
Speed),
Who's That Girl is manna for Madonna-philes. All others are advised to proceed with caution--or head straight for Howard Hawks’ timeless
Bringing Up Baby instead.
--Kathleen C. Fennessy
