For ninety minutes this film has two characters talk and argue about the troubles that they are having in their relationship and I thought of one thing, if a friend of yours started to complain about their relationship could you listen to them for ninety minutes? Me either, but this film expects you to. Story is about a couple that have been dating for a few years but decide that they should break up and after spending some time apart it doesn't take long before they start calling each other and getting together for great sex. Steve (Russell Crowe) and Monica (Salma Hayek) talk about that they are not together anymore but still hop into bed with one another and then talk and argue until one of them leaves. Later one of them will phone the other up and the whole process starts again with sex, talk, and more arguing.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
One day Steve shows up at Monica's work and tells her that they should get married and after mulling about it for a short time she accepts. Steve starts dreaming and when he finally wakes up he is at the altar but he is unable to utter the words "I do" and passes out. Monica has had it with him and leaves him for good and even though he doesn't want her to leave there isn't anything he can say to change her mind.
This film is directed by Robert Greenwald who was either handicapped by an extremely thin budget or has no clue how to construct a real film. This was shot in New York City but aside from a taxi with New York printed on the doors you would have been hard pressed to figure out where it's suppose to take place. There isn't one good shot of that beautiful city and instead the films focus remains on the two lead actors and even with their immense talent they just cannot keep the audiences attention on something so trivial and mundane. Glenda Jackson starred in a film called "Stevie" in the 1970's and she had to carry that film herself also and even though I thought she succeeded this is a task that's practically impossible even for the best actors. It all boils down to the material that they are handed and this script is just to dull. Some have said that Crowe and Hayek have no chemistry on screen but I'm not so quick to agree with that because the lines that they are forced to utter is so banal. Greenwald directed this film from the play by Michael Cristofer and I'm not sure what drew his attention to this but the end result is a dull film that is both poorly constructed and repetitious.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
One day Steve shows up at Monica's work and tells her that they should get married and after mulling about it for a short time she accepts. Steve starts dreaming and when he finally wakes up he is at the altar but he is unable to utter the words "I do" and passes out. Monica has had it with him and leaves him for good and even though he doesn't want her to leave there isn't anything he can say to change her mind.
This film is directed by Robert Greenwald who was either handicapped by an extremely thin budget or has no clue how to construct a real film. This was shot in New York City but aside from a taxi with New York printed on the doors you would have been hard pressed to figure out where it's suppose to take place. There isn't one good shot of that beautiful city and instead the films focus remains on the two lead actors and even with their immense talent they just cannot keep the audiences attention on something so trivial and mundane. Glenda Jackson starred in a film called "Stevie" in the 1970's and she had to carry that film herself also and even though I thought she succeeded this is a task that's practically impossible even for the best actors. It all boils down to the material that they are handed and this script is just to dull. Some have said that Crowe and Hayek have no chemistry on screen but I'm not so quick to agree with that because the lines that they are forced to utter is so banal. Greenwald directed this film from the play by Michael Cristofer and I'm not sure what drew his attention to this but the end result is a dull film that is both poorly constructed and repetitious.