Pennies From Heaven

Rating:
Summary: OK, but suffers in comparison to the original
Review: I'm surprised by the range and vehemence of reactions to this movie -- who thought that many people had even seen it? Here's my two pennies: Bernadette Peters and Christopher Walken are great; Steve Martin obviously worked hard to learn his dance steps, but you can see the sweat and that means he ain't no Astaire or Kelly. I don't think we need to burn all copies of this video, but anyone who has seen the original TV production will be disappointed by this movie version. And if you think about it, what was the point of this movie? To remake a diminished version of something great? To give us something easier to swallow than a 6-hr show with English accents? Another insult to Americans (who probably deserve it). Hey, I'm starting to see how people can get so worked up over this movie....

Rating:
Summary: Homage to Edward Hopper
Review: If you liked the look of this movie, you should familiarize yourself with the paintings of Edward Hopper. Gordon Willis brilliantly captured the look and feel of Hopper's work. Especially fun to watch was the diner scene which morphed into the famous painting "Nighthawks".

Rating:
Summary: Great Dance Numbers, Sad Story
Review: It's in the middle of the Depression and sad sack Arthur is a traveling sheet music salesman. He dreams of the love and happiness he finds in the songs, and he longs for his wife to give him love and sex. Arthur and the other characters break into lip synching popular songs of the period to illustrate their feelings. He meets a repressed but adventurous school teacher, and depression really sets in for the viewer.

The movie is based on the strange and wonderful Dennis Potter BBC television show from 1978 (which I'm in the process of watching). In the Herbert Ross version, Steve Martin plays Arthur, Bernadette Peters the school marm and Jessica Walters the wife.

The movie has some great moments, but for me those moments are all wrapped up in the big production numbers. These are elaborate song productions with the stars dancing and lip synching. The numbers are huge Busby Berkeley fantasies in vivid color with lavish sets and costumes. And they completely overwhelm what interest there might be in the sad little story of Arthur. That's only part of the problem. At this point in his movie career, I don't think Martin had the skill or the confidence to portray yearning (as he did excellently in Roxanne). That lack of sympathy for Arthur really undercuts the story. I can't help but contrast his performance with Bob Hoskins in the original BBC production. Hoskins is so instantly likable that he automatically gives greater depth to the role.

But, ah, the musical numbers. They're great. Vernel Bagneris does a terrific shuffling dance in the rain to Pennies from Heaven. Christopher Walken is a wonder as a sleazy pimp doing a strip and tap routine while lip synching to Let's Misbehave. And the dance number in the bank with Martin and, I think, an actor named Jay Garner, is a lot of fun. Garner plays a fat, complacent, middle aged banker who turns Martin down for a loan...but then in Arthur's fantasy they break into lip sync song and dance while the banker showers Arthur with money. Garner nearly steals the scene.

Martin must have really wanted to do this movie; it shows in the terrific dance routines he handles with skill and enthusiasm. The movie itself, for me, just doesn't come off. If you like big Hollywood production numbers, though, get the disc and fast forward to them. That's what I've done after the first time I saw the movie on VHS. The Walken number alone is worth the price of the DVD. I gave it four stars because of the musical numbers.

The DVD transfer is fine.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Most Original Movies I've Ever Seen
Review: Moulin Rouge and Chicago don't come within a million miles of this film's intense emotion, brilliant dark satire, and sheer originality. It probably helps that the song and dance numbers in Pennies are far, far, far better executed than the ones in Moulin or Chicago. In fact, Christopher Walken's performance alone was worth the price of the video. However, if you actually enjoyed the cliche ridden bloated Hollywood budget nonsense that was Moulin and Chicago, you will probably not care for this movie. There are no wistful romances here and the ending will be far too ambiguous. In my opinion, Pennies from Heaven has the very thing that most musicals lack: A brain.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Mediocre Transfer
Review: My five star rating is for the movie (which is quite wonderful, despite some of the clueless reviews below -- folks, it's supposed to be artificial and emotionally detatched, that's the point!) and not for the DVD quality, which is disappointing. The movie begged for a top-notch DVD production, but Warners dropped the ball on this one, big-time. The transfer is mediocre at best -- a shame for one of the most beautifully shot movies of the past thirty years. This is the kind of movie that DVD's were made for, and yet Warner's didn't bother to take advantage of the medium at all. The one extra is a O

Rating:
Summary: Dark satire on an old, comfortable genre
Review: Pennies from Heaven is a disturbingly uncomfortable musical film which seems to take a lot of criticism. If you look a little deeper, you may find that it really has intentions of satire. Classic musicals like "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) rely on many of the same techniques that "Pennies" relies on. However, "Pennies" makes no attempt at verisimilitude. In one scene, the old stodgy banker lip-syncs to a female voice! It is moments like these that make Pennies from Heaven worth watching. It does a great job with Arthur(Steve Martin) and Bernadette Peters is always fun to watch. Christopher Walken is unbelievable. I had absolutely no idea that he could dance at all. Don't take this film too seriously as a musical; rather, take it as a satire on the classic "MGM Musical." 3 1/2 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent dark comedy/melodrama
Review: Pennies from Heaven is a most unusual film - a combination of musical fantasy and melodrama. Great acting and performances from all the leads. This is probably Steve Martin's best effort to play a serious role with deep characterization. Bernadette Peters is vulnerable and tantalizing. This film could have been their breakthrough feature, if the audience had accepted Steve Martin as anything other than for his zany comedies. I remember Steve Martin jokingly said to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show that those who liked this movie were intelligent and humanistic. I think it is not far from the truth.

Rating:
Summary: Let it Rain !!
Review: Pennies from Heaven is FANTASTIC !!
A Great American adaptation of the original British screenplay by Dennis Potter. Not a lot of people know that actor Christopher Walken can sing and tap dance and just to see his amazing routine is one bonus of many from this talented collection of people involved with the production.
Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters give strong and consistant character performances and you will be dazzled by the many imaginative musical numbers performed.
The choreography is by Danny Daniels, the Director is Herbert Ross and the film poster is beautifully presented by artist Bob Peak.
As they sing in show business:
Who Could Ask for Anything More !!!
Check it out now and please release it on DVD with extras.

Rating:
Summary: Lot's of pennies, but not quite HEAVEN!
Review: Pennies From Heaven is good movie. IT is NOT great. It will be hard for audiences today to watch without getting bored, but if you understand the dilemna of each character and stick it through, you wont be completely disappointed by the work of the piece. The movie concerns itself with very dark and complex characters that dream of a different life through the artforms of the 1930's movie musical. The movie is NOT bad. It is just very different and at times confusing. But I think the breathtaking performances of all the principal actors will make you happy you watched it. Jessica Harper is incredible as the wife, Joan. And Bernadette Peter's award winning performance is masterful. She is one of the most underrated actresses ever to grace the silver screen. Just watch her performance during the scene with (and amazing) Christopher Walken. The mental anguish can be felt with out her having to say one word. So, don't take it from me, rent the movie before purchasing it,and just relax and stick with it...it isn't as bad as you think, it is just different.
The only problem I found with the DVD was it's 'Pennies From Heaven: 20th Anniversary Cast and Crew Reunion'. The problem was that the only two people from the cast included were Steve Martin and Jessica Harper. Where was Bernadette Peters? Where was Christopher Walken? So the reunion is initially boring and not well filmed either. A surprise is to find that the Executive Producer of this movie is one and the same as the Executive Producer of all the current Star Wars prequels.

Rating:
Summary: Pennies from Heaven was 23 years ahead of it's time
Review: Pennies from Heaven was 23 years ahead of it's time and Chicago finally caught up to it. Richard Gere attempts Christopher Walkin's strip tease dance number on the bar, Renee Zelwiger tries her best to fantasize and sing songs form the era while Bernedette Peter's left you in wonder of her spiritual and yet develish song delivery. Vernel Bagners arrival out of the mist, with a song that turns you to mush is attempted by John Reilly. Pennies from Heaven leaves Chicago in the dust, except for FOSSE.

Carol Shaw Greger