Moonstruck

Rating:
Summary: A Romantic, Sensual Delight!
Review: This film's premise that one's spirit somehow knows when you are about to marry the wrong person rings true to my romantic heart. Cher plays the once-married Italian New York accountant Loretta, who believes that her first marriage was doomed (her husband died when he was hit by a bus) is entirely attributable to the "bad luck" that came from having a non-traditional wedding. Danny Aiello plays Cher's fiance, Johnny Cammareri, who asks Cher to do him the favor of inviting his younger brother, Ronny (played by Nicolas Cage), to the wedding. He makes this request because he is flying to Sicily to be at the bedside of his dying mother, and because some kind of "bad blood" passed between the brothers five years earlier -- and Ronny hasn't spoken to Johnny ever since.

As you might guess, things begin to get interesting when Loretta (Cher) phones Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to invite him to the wedding and is hung up on abruptly. "What an ANIMAL!" Loretta exclaims to her mother, as she grabs her coat and leaves to go see Ronny in person where he works at a bakery. As luck would have it, Loretta gets much more than she bargains for when she finally gets a chance to have a one-on-one discussion with Ronny about why he hasn't spoken to his brother in five years. The moon is full that day, which "brings the woman to the man".

One of the things I love most about this movie is the way that Loretta and Ronny have an intuitive feel for what motivates the other. In one such discussion, Loretta likens Ronny to a wolf who would prefer to chew it's own paw off than make the mistake of marrying the wrong woman. In another, Ronny comments to Loretta, "Playing it safe is just about the most dangerous thing a woman like you can do."

I love everything about this movie -- the setting in New York (including the Metropolitan Opera theater) is stunning, the script is thought-provoking and intelligent, the actors are sensual, and even the supporting actors are outstanding! Olympia Dukakis plays Rose, Loretta's mother, and John Mahoney (of Frasier fame) plays Loretta's father. There is a strong sense of family in this film, albeit a less-than-perfect family.

In short, this is one of a handful of films I love to watch again and again!

Rating:
Summary: Unlikely Match for Cher & Nicholas Cage -- That's Amore!
Review: Nicholas Cage and Cher are wonderful as on-again-off-again May/September lovers in this story about life and love in a very Italian American family. The Dean Martin classic "That's Amore" perfectly envelops the plot and makes the viewer dream of Napoli. -- Cher won the Oscar for her performance, which was a great one. I still believe that she was slightly better in the previous year's "Mask", for which she was completely overlooked by the Academy. Still this is a great movie, one of the best in the genre. Watch this DVD version, it is far superior to the VHS and has added features. Pour the cianti and enjoy this very romantic gem of a movie!

Rating:
Summary: To widescreen, or not to widescreen?
Review: (formerly a THREE-STAR review)

GOOD NEWS AND ALTERED COMMENTS!! BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT!!! "Moonstruck" is a fabulous modern comedy/romance, a classic!! I LOVE this film, and you will, too!

I had complained in my previous comment about the lack of widescreen theatrical release format in the previous release of this film, but I have just received word straight from the horse's mouth (MGM, via e-mail at their website) that the re-release of 'Moonstruck' on DVD (Nov.) will be available in either full-frame or (finally!) widescreen. AND they told me, in answer to my direct question, that 'Moonstruck' was shot in a full-frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio; theatrical presentation was 1.85:1. (Huh?)

I found out that most 1.85:1 aspect ratio movies are actually shot in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, with the intention that the top and bottom of the frames will be trimmed (matted) for 1.85:1 widescreen theatrical presentation. The cinematograper and director frame the shots with this in mind. The result of this is that the movie can be transferred easily to video without doing a pan-and-scan treatment of the photography for full-framed TV presentation. In other words, you're not missing anything in the full-screen framing. This is much preferred by the director, but still not ideal.

In fact, you get MORE than the director and cinematographer intended you to see, so the framing of the shots is a bit tall, less subject-focused than intended for cinematic presentation. This is by far a better compromise than a pan-and-scan transfer: rather than losing portions of the picture and ruining the framing, you just get some extra film that the director considers superfluous. It's still a compromise, and as you watch the film, it could mean the difference between a great shot and merely a good one.

So I personally still prefer theatrical release format, but I don't begrudge those who dislike widescreen their full-frame option, especially if they're not missing parts of the picture. I must say though that it surprises me how many people out there are bothered by widescreen movies on the normal 1.33:1 television. You get used to it quickly, unless you LET it bother you. (Have you noticed all the commercials and TV programs shot in widescreen recently? You probably haven't, so look for them!) As an owner of only a 27" TV (new), and a 20" before that, I say you can enjoy widescreen on TV!

I would now buy this DVD even if it were only full frame. GEORGE'S RECIPE FOR INCREASED DVD AND VHS SALES: the movie studios should inform us on the back of all video releases as to what alterations have been made for the video release. If it says it's pan-and-scan, I won't touch it, but if it's this other method, I might. Many feel the same as I.

I have many DVDs with widescreen on one side and full-screen on the other: the perfect compromise!

Rating:
Summary: Greatest of romantic comedies
Review: This movie doesn't have to be driven by gags and star hype to get to the end. A tremendous script and great performances by supporting actors rounds out Cher and Cages' acting. The side stories of parental discord and search for romance complement the central love story. Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis were superb in their roles. The wave of chaos -brought by the moon- into all of these people's lives is marvelously written into parallel stories. The release of tension at the resolution is such a palpable relief for everyone that its almost a euphoric moment, especially for the viewer.

Rating:
Summary: The Moon Shines Bright Over New York
Review: This movie was absolutely wonderful! It is not just a story of new love (with Cher and a fabulous Nicolas Cage), but also a tender tribute to "old timers" who manage to stay in love with each other (and romantic with each other) throughout the years.

Cher is good (she did win an Oscar), but the true stars of the movie are the supporting cast -- Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis as her parents, Danny Aiello as her already-henpecked fiance, Nic Cage (already mentioned above) -- and the countless smaller cast members as the New York people she meets everyday. Her aunt and uncle are especially sweet!

Being a native New Yorker, the people and the situations rang true, but the script is so good that it actually transends the New York setting. You could picture this story happening anywhere with any kind of people. And at the end, you sigh and smile at the wonder of it all. Isn't that what a good love story is all about?

Rating:
Summary: Best Romantic Comedy Ever!
Review: This film stands head and shoulders above all cinematic romantic comedies. It is virtually flawless! The writing, acting, production design, humor and pathos are all wonderful! Even the music -- from Dean Martin to La Boheme -- is captivatingly delightful!

Every character is peculiarly delightful and memorable, from the leads played by Cher and Nicolas Cage, to the many supporting roles -- Olympia Dukakis , Vincent Gardenia, John Mahoney, Danny Aiello -- even grandpa with his dog pack! Each of these performers, plus Norman Jewison as Director, performs above their normal quality in this ensemble work. For many of the actors, this was an early major exposure in film, so the casting is also exceptional -- and we have many current acting powerhouses whose careers were altered by their effectiveness in this film.

I've seen this film several times all the way through -- which can deflate the impact of a film substantially. More tellingly, I realized some years ago that whenever I channel-surfed my way into a scene from this film -- any scene -- the scene was compelling and beautifully crafted. I agree with the reviewer who raves about the scene depicting original meeting between the Cher and Nicolas Cage characters. But there are so many others that have stunning impact -- Vincent Gardenia discovered with his paramour at the opera, amidst the splendor generated by his gold-mine plumbing business; Olympia Dukakis scolding John Mahoney for philandering with his student in the classic line about liaisons with co-workers: "Don't sh-t where you eat!"; Danny Aiello at his dying mother's bedside; Nicolas Cage "taking" Cher as the rapture of an aria soars in the background!

There are many great romantic comedies, among them Sabrina (both versions, but especially the Audrey Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart/William Holden original); When Harry Met Sally; The Apartment.

None holds a candle to Moonstruck!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Movie!
Review: 'Moonstruck' is one of the best movies I have ever seen! When I first heard the title, I thought it was the stupidist thing and then I watched it and it was just great. The movie has a great cast and the perfect story script. You'll love 'Moonstruck' You have to get it!

Rating:
Summary: Poor use of DVD technology
Review: This review is not about the movie in general. There are enough of those here already. However the DVD was very dissapointing. Purportedly the sound was upgraded to Dolby 5.1 Surround. The sound instead is washed out and the volume difficult to maintain at one level. Often volume needs to be increased to hear the actors and then reduced again as the background music swells. Almost as bad is the video. It's as if they produced the DVD off an old, beat up print. Small flashes of white and black spots continually appear throughout the movie.

I bought the DVD at a reputable retailer, but it plays like a bootleg.

Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorite movies
Review: Okay, I am of Italian descent and originally from Brooklyn, so I can say that it is quite a realistic portrayal of that American subculture. But that aside, I found this movie wonderfully uplifting. I saw it in Copenhagen, subtitled in Danish (which I can speak and read)and it was a riot to see how they translated Italian-American Brooklyn English into a foreign language (didn't work too well!!!)Anyway, this movie will give you a lift anytime. Cheers for Cher, she did a marvelous job. As did Nick Cage.

Rating:
Summary: Favorite movie of all time
Review: I absolutely adore this movie. Every time I see this movie I laugh out loud it is so funny. I love the grandfather and his five dogs who howl at the moon mainly because I am a huge dog lover. Actually, in some ways the grandfather is my favorite character, he is only around for comic relief, but he really makes me laugh almost every time he is in a scene, especially in a very tense moment at almost the very end of the movie where no one is talking, and he says: "Someone tell a joke." I love how this movie is like a snapshot of a traditional type Italian family. Italian is a beautiful sounding language and, even though I have almost no idea what the words mean, I love listening to the characters talk in Italian. Luna is a much more beautiful sounding word than moon. I love Olymphia Dukakis in the role of the mother; she is just wonderful. Nicholas Cage is a mad man in this movie-but his character is hilarious. My favorite scene with him is after the opera where he is trying to convince Loretta that she should chose him over his brother. The arguments that he uses are both logical and illogical at the same time. I love it when Loretta (Cher) describes Ronny (Cage) as the wolf who chewed off his own hand to escape the trap of loving the wrong woman--because Ronny is a very wolfish-like character. The only other movie I have seen with Cher in it is Mask. She did just as good, if not better, in this comedic role as she did in her dramatic role in Mask. This really is my all time favorite movie, every time I watch it I feel like I love it more than I did the last time I watched it.