James Toback's When Will Be Loved has a very, loose, ramshackle quality that it is ill-suited for. As the film opens, it cuts back and forth, jarringly, between Fred Weller rambling on his cell phone, and Neve Campbell taking a shower. The music even changes between each cut..and it's just so sloppily done, and unfortunately, the rest of the film, for the most part, is just as sloppy. Between the music being way too damn loud (whoever mixed the sound on this film did a lousy-ass job!), or certain scenes being more or less pointless, the film is a just a ramshackle, sloppy mess. Does the scene where Neve runs into Lori Singer in the park add anything? Other than perhaps killing time...no. Is the scene with Mike Tyson necessary? No, again it adds nothing, wastes time. And the threesome in the park scene? Not needed either...as we already know Weller is a small-time bum, out for his own gratification. Why is Chianese's character a Count? That's just ridiculous..and it seriously undercuts the believability of his character...and yet his sequence with Campbell is the only one in the film that really works. The rest of it......not so much. This is primarily because of the tired,tired stereotypical small time hustler character that Weller is given to play. Weller does what he can, and is occasionally amusing, but on the whole, we've seen this character too many damn times...we know right away that he has no connections, is a liar, a loser, etc. Knowing that, watching this character is quite irritating, as it offers no surprises, but plenty o' stale crap we have to sit through. This movie is just a mess. Not completely bad, but mostly, a ramshackle mess.
75 Reviews
Pretty awful overall, with one good performance
azeemak2 August 2005
I found Toback's earlier film Black and White mildly diverting, so gave this one a whirl. The scuttlebutt was that this was Neve Campbell's best (and sexiest) performance so far. Well, that much may be true-ish, but the rest of this film is, in places, almost unwatchably bad.
Most of the characters (or should I say caricatures - take the Italian mogul: did anybody find this man even remotely believable?) are without a shred of originality, and in the case of Ford, bear virtually no resemblance to human beings of the sort you or I might actually meet. It may be that his relentless hustling is *intended* to show him as a pathetic individual - but there is a fine line between depicting characters we may not like but in whom we can invest some interest as to their fate; and, as happens in this film, showing people who are irredeemably ghastly, and about whose fate we don't give a toss.
In Black and White, Mike Tyson had a very funny cameo, in which Robert Downey Junior's character tries to seduce him. Here, it looks as if Toback has simply raided his address book and shoehorned as many celebrity cameos as he could into what passes for the plot. Ooh, look, there's Lori Singer! Wow, there's Mike Tyson (again). Ooh, that really is Damon Dash! Toback's own performance as the "hilariously" named cross-cultural enabler is pure smugness in a bottle. The only honest moment is when he confesses to wanting to get into Neve Campbell's knickers. We can only speculate as to whether that is a case of art imitating life.
And Neve Campbell? Yes, she is good in this. She gets some decent dialogue to get her teeth into and delivers it with aplomb. I still think Wild Things is a better showcase for her talent.
The incident towards the end of the film was certainly unexpected; but then again, any idiot can make unexpected things happen in a film. The trick is to work up to it in *some* way. Toback is either incapable of doing this, or simply can't be bothered. The dénouement left me shrugging: so what? Who cares about these cardboard cut-outs?
Most of the characters (or should I say caricatures - take the Italian mogul: did anybody find this man even remotely believable?) are without a shred of originality, and in the case of Ford, bear virtually no resemblance to human beings of the sort you or I might actually meet. It may be that his relentless hustling is *intended* to show him as a pathetic individual - but there is a fine line between depicting characters we may not like but in whom we can invest some interest as to their fate; and, as happens in this film, showing people who are irredeemably ghastly, and about whose fate we don't give a toss.
In Black and White, Mike Tyson had a very funny cameo, in which Robert Downey Junior's character tries to seduce him. Here, it looks as if Toback has simply raided his address book and shoehorned as many celebrity cameos as he could into what passes for the plot. Ooh, look, there's Lori Singer! Wow, there's Mike Tyson (again). Ooh, that really is Damon Dash! Toback's own performance as the "hilariously" named cross-cultural enabler is pure smugness in a bottle. The only honest moment is when he confesses to wanting to get into Neve Campbell's knickers. We can only speculate as to whether that is a case of art imitating life.
And Neve Campbell? Yes, she is good in this. She gets some decent dialogue to get her teeth into and delivers it with aplomb. I still think Wild Things is a better showcase for her talent.
The incident towards the end of the film was certainly unexpected; but then again, any idiot can make unexpected things happen in a film. The trick is to work up to it in *some* way. Toback is either incapable of doing this, or simply can't be bothered. The dénouement left me shrugging: so what? Who cares about these cardboard cut-outs?
Beautiful waste of time
emdoub5 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Okay - I'm a fan of Neve Campbell, which is the primary reason I rented this flick. She shows considerable acting chops here - which is even more impressive when you consider the lack of opportunity for her character to develop.
Truth be told, most of the acting was pretty well done. Great soundtrack, pretty views of NYC, wonderful cinematography - this could be a great movie. Neve gets naked during the opening credits? Oh, yeah - settle in and enjoy... enjoy.... um....
Shot in 11 days, this film features the writer/director playing a Jewish Professor of Black Studies, Lori Singer playing herself with a rude boyfriend, Mike Tyson playing someone else that just looks like Mike Tyson. Fred Weller plays the sleazy hustler boyfriend (unfaithful, no less) of rich-girl Vera (Neve), Damon Dash plays nice to a guy on the sidewalk who's trying to hustle him, and about half of the cast plays characters with their own names - someone was running low on creativity at this point.
Running 81 minutes, about half of the scenes went about twice as long as they should have - which comes out okay, because the other half had nothing to do with story progression or character development. That was okay, too - because the story didn't have anywhere to go to, and after the first 15 minutes, you don't want the characters to develop - you want them to either make sense or go away. (Some make sense - but annoy deeply.) Upshot of the plot - a beautiful young woman of the leisure class bounces between being approached for sex or approaching strangers on the street, asking for phone numbers. A man touted as the most important media mogul of Italy offers a hustler $100,000 for an introduction to his girlfriend - and when she says it's not sufficient, goes out and hits banks to score a million in cash for her. She tells boyfriend that there was no cash, and Bad Things Happen - after which we see that the poor little rich girl is a Bad poor little rich girl.
The point? See Neve naked, I guess. Her acting is fine - her taste here, however, is a little shaky.
Truth be told, most of the acting was pretty well done. Great soundtrack, pretty views of NYC, wonderful cinematography - this could be a great movie. Neve gets naked during the opening credits? Oh, yeah - settle in and enjoy... enjoy.... um....
Shot in 11 days, this film features the writer/director playing a Jewish Professor of Black Studies, Lori Singer playing herself with a rude boyfriend, Mike Tyson playing someone else that just looks like Mike Tyson. Fred Weller plays the sleazy hustler boyfriend (unfaithful, no less) of rich-girl Vera (Neve), Damon Dash plays nice to a guy on the sidewalk who's trying to hustle him, and about half of the cast plays characters with their own names - someone was running low on creativity at this point.
Running 81 minutes, about half of the scenes went about twice as long as they should have - which comes out okay, because the other half had nothing to do with story progression or character development. That was okay, too - because the story didn't have anywhere to go to, and after the first 15 minutes, you don't want the characters to develop - you want them to either make sense or go away. (Some make sense - but annoy deeply.) Upshot of the plot - a beautiful young woman of the leisure class bounces between being approached for sex or approaching strangers on the street, asking for phone numbers. A man touted as the most important media mogul of Italy offers a hustler $100,000 for an introduction to his girlfriend - and when she says it's not sufficient, goes out and hits banks to score a million in cash for her. She tells boyfriend that there was no cash, and Bad Things Happen - after which we see that the poor little rich girl is a Bad poor little rich girl.
The point? See Neve naked, I guess. Her acting is fine - her taste here, however, is a little shaky.
Bitterly disappointing
rcraig623 September 2005
This movie got a lot of undeserved juice from Roger Ebert's four-star review, and it's just awful. I've liked some of Toback's other work, particularly "Fingers", but this thing feels like a really boring home movie on autopilot. It's purportedly about the non-adventures of this bratty little rich girl (Neve Campbell) and her no-account boyfriend (Fred Weller) and, ultimately, their scheme to seduce a rich Italian count (Dominic Chianese) out of some major money. But it takes some time to get to this plot point, and up till then, the movie just meanders in a cinema-verite sort of way that makes it seem like Toback can use it as an excuse for the picture being a dud. It's like he's saying, "Well, whatever we shot, we shot. I can't be held responsible for the randomness of events."
The movie goes from Neve Campbell meeting one person on the street to another in what I'm sure Toback would insist was "character development", but it's done in such a way that it all rings false. It's scripted without being scripted. In another words, it's contrived. When Neve's college professor (played by Toback) explains what he thinks is going on with Neve and her head games, you can almost hear the gears locking in the background. It might be the most mechanical ad-libbed sequence in history.
Toback's use of celebrity here is also peculiar. The Mike Tyson cameo is pretty funny; he actually gives the movie a momentary spark. But when Toback has Neve recognizing a bit actress like Lori Singer on the street like she's Jane Fonda, I wonder what world he's living in. This whole "expository" part feels like padding, like Toback didn't have enough legit material to go around. Then, when the action shifts to the "scheme" in the final twenty minutes, it's good - it's the best part of the film. But the effect is a little jarring. Toback goes from a lazy, dawdling atmosphere to a sequence that's scripted tighter than Abbott & Costello's Who's on First, and it just doesn't work. The two forms don't really mesh, and you get the feeling Toback only had twenty good minutes in him to begin with - the rest is like a warm-up, like running in place to get the circulation going. And I hate to sound like an old prude (which I'm far from being), but the nude shower scene is an absolute cheap shot; Neve Campbell is just being exploited here. It has nothing to do with her character or anything else; it's completely gratuitous. But I guess anything goes when you have no material. Minus credits, this thing is barely over an hour and fifteen minutes. It hardly seems worth being made.
The movie goes from Neve Campbell meeting one person on the street to another in what I'm sure Toback would insist was "character development", but it's done in such a way that it all rings false. It's scripted without being scripted. In another words, it's contrived. When Neve's college professor (played by Toback) explains what he thinks is going on with Neve and her head games, you can almost hear the gears locking in the background. It might be the most mechanical ad-libbed sequence in history.
Toback's use of celebrity here is also peculiar. The Mike Tyson cameo is pretty funny; he actually gives the movie a momentary spark. But when Toback has Neve recognizing a bit actress like Lori Singer on the street like she's Jane Fonda, I wonder what world he's living in. This whole "expository" part feels like padding, like Toback didn't have enough legit material to go around. Then, when the action shifts to the "scheme" in the final twenty minutes, it's good - it's the best part of the film. But the effect is a little jarring. Toback goes from a lazy, dawdling atmosphere to a sequence that's scripted tighter than Abbott & Costello's Who's on First, and it just doesn't work. The two forms don't really mesh, and you get the feeling Toback only had twenty good minutes in him to begin with - the rest is like a warm-up, like running in place to get the circulation going. And I hate to sound like an old prude (which I'm far from being), but the nude shower scene is an absolute cheap shot; Neve Campbell is just being exploited here. It has nothing to do with her character or anything else; it's completely gratuitous. But I guess anything goes when you have no material. Minus credits, this thing is barely over an hour and fifteen minutes. It hardly seems worth being made.
Too clever or not clever enough
tehck23 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
When Will I Be Loved is either a really stupid movie or far too clever for its own good. Neve Campbell plays Vera Barrie, a poor little rich girl who, at first glance, appears to be fending off the efforts of everyone around her to use and control her. Her stereotypical wealthy parents make clear how she should arrange every aspect of her life, from what kind of mattress she sleeps on to who she sleeps with. Her boyfriend is a sleazy con artist who hopes to talk her into having sex with a billionaire Italian count for $100,000, wanting in effect, to pimp her. The Count, of course, wants to buy her affection and her body. As it turns out, none of these characters controls this girl. On the contrary, the amoral Vera manipulates almost everyone she comes into contact with for her own amusement and gain. While interviewing for an assistant's job with a college professor, she maneuvers the academic's clumsy efforts to flirt with her into a virtual admission of potential sexual harassment, all but forcing him to offer her the position. This interview takes place as the two are walking along the sidewalks of New York, and when the professor is twice distracted by passers by (one of whom is disgraced boxer Mike Tyson himself in perhaps the high point of the movie) Vera uses each break in their conversation to try to pick up attractive men who happen to be near. She engages in a lesbian tryst behind her boyfriend's back, and she apparently deliberately starts an argument between a couple on a park bench by openly flirting with the boy. In the central plot conflict, the affair with the count, she is the spider weaving every strand of the web. Her boyfriend Ford makes a pathetic attempt to conceal his motives as he introduces the subject, but she seems to expect this kind of low scheme from him and anticipates his every move. Not surprisingly, she quickly accepts and tells him to set it up. The lovestruck Count has only seen Vera briefly twice and compares his ardor for her to the poet Dante's passion for Beatrice. Vera quickly manipulates the Count into upping the ante to one million dollars cash. She gives the Count his afternoon of passion and stashes the money in a safety deposit box immediately thereafter. When Ford returns to claim his share of the loot, she lies, telling him that the Count is a fraud who refused to pay her the $100,000. This leads to a confrontation between Ford and the Italian with deeply tragic consequences for both. Although clearly the cause of this misery, Vera show little evidence of guilt and more than a little self-satisfaction.
While this plot may sound interesting, the movie robs it of the energy and intrigue it promises. First of all, Vera is a strangely passive character. She doesn't seem to actively manipulate anyone, she simply reacts to what they do in a way that elicits the behavior she wants. As a result, she is neither interesting nor sympathetic, and, worst of all, her passivity conceals just how despicable she is. When the revelation comes, it is too late and too muted to redeem the story. At best, we go from not liking Vera very much to hating her. We never understand what motivates or satisfies her (beyond her obviously active sex life).
Second, much of what happens is simply not very believable. Basically everyone in the story but Vera is a one-note stereotype. The Count is the most problematic. With no back story but the fact that he is a billionaire "communications" magnate, we are asked to believe that he would bring six grocery bags full of cash to an apartment to make a woman he'd never met happy in the hope that she might sleep with him -- if she wants to. Perhaps this could happen, but the movie doesn't earn our belief. Our incredulity is sharpened by the fact that Neve Campbell is arguably the least attractive woman in the movie. Neve's highly publicized nude shower scene does little to establish the sexual magnetism Vera is apparently supposed to have. Both naked and clothed, she's somewhat shapeless, which only mirrors the impassive smugness she wears on her pleasant but unremarkable face for most of the movie. Vera doesn't have to look like Angelina Jolie, but she should at least look interested. Finally, the soundtrack is horrible. Most of the dialog is drowned in an incessant music track. Brahms, Bach, and Beethoven accompany Vera almost every moment she's on screen. Perhaps the unending Classical ditties are meant to suggest Vera's sophistication or artistry, but like her vague character they quickly move from puzzling to annoying.
While this plot may sound interesting, the movie robs it of the energy and intrigue it promises. First of all, Vera is a strangely passive character. She doesn't seem to actively manipulate anyone, she simply reacts to what they do in a way that elicits the behavior she wants. As a result, she is neither interesting nor sympathetic, and, worst of all, her passivity conceals just how despicable she is. When the revelation comes, it is too late and too muted to redeem the story. At best, we go from not liking Vera very much to hating her. We never understand what motivates or satisfies her (beyond her obviously active sex life).
Second, much of what happens is simply not very believable. Basically everyone in the story but Vera is a one-note stereotype. The Count is the most problematic. With no back story but the fact that he is a billionaire "communications" magnate, we are asked to believe that he would bring six grocery bags full of cash to an apartment to make a woman he'd never met happy in the hope that she might sleep with him -- if she wants to. Perhaps this could happen, but the movie doesn't earn our belief. Our incredulity is sharpened by the fact that Neve Campbell is arguably the least attractive woman in the movie. Neve's highly publicized nude shower scene does little to establish the sexual magnetism Vera is apparently supposed to have. Both naked and clothed, she's somewhat shapeless, which only mirrors the impassive smugness she wears on her pleasant but unremarkable face for most of the movie. Vera doesn't have to look like Angelina Jolie, but she should at least look interested. Finally, the soundtrack is horrible. Most of the dialog is drowned in an incessant music track. Brahms, Bach, and Beethoven accompany Vera almost every moment she's on screen. Perhaps the unending Classical ditties are meant to suggest Vera's sophistication or artistry, but like her vague character they quickly move from puzzling to annoying.
Could we get a little more detached, please?
cwhyel26 February 2005
What a real bummer. I have to lay most of the rap on Mr. Toback. First, inserting himself into an already short movie (that must run 81 minutes with opening AND closing credits) appeared both self-aggrandizing, unnecessary, and a near complete digression (as was the lengthy cameo by former boxing great Mike Tyson). I would elaborate but I don't want to ruin some questions that might arise should you be paying attention (Picture Michael Moore on the Atkins diet, wearing a dashiki).
Neve Campbell is thoroughly charming and totally wasted as the lost, passionate rich girl. Bottom line, is that there will be thousands make off of her nudity in this flick. The nudity only consists of a shower scene. The sex scenes are little more than bumping and grinding and contrived, and I can only wonder if the talent were as uncomforable making those scenes as I was watching them.
But back to the erstwhile Mr. Toback, if you listen carefully to his voice early on, then you'll likely hear it in the other characters as well. His New York chatterbox cadence becomes tiresome.
I had hoped for better. Ms. Campbell is a major talent is one or two films away from breaking out super huge. Mr. Toback is also talented though this certainly isn't the work to pin his fame on. I wish them well in their future endeavors, and mourn for the eighty-one minutes I can never get back.
Neve Campbell is thoroughly charming and totally wasted as the lost, passionate rich girl. Bottom line, is that there will be thousands make off of her nudity in this flick. The nudity only consists of a shower scene. The sex scenes are little more than bumping and grinding and contrived, and I can only wonder if the talent were as uncomforable making those scenes as I was watching them.
But back to the erstwhile Mr. Toback, if you listen carefully to his voice early on, then you'll likely hear it in the other characters as well. His New York chatterbox cadence becomes tiresome.
I had hoped for better. Ms. Campbell is a major talent is one or two films away from breaking out super huge. Mr. Toback is also talented though this certainly isn't the work to pin his fame on. I wish them well in their future endeavors, and mourn for the eighty-one minutes I can never get back.
Bad acting, annoying characters, annoying music
tieftrunk3 January 2005
This movie is mostly annoying.
Many scenes are unnecessarily prolonged. I started to skip ahead through the last half, and it became slightly more tolerable.
The dialog is stream of conscience, and mostly failed to contribute to the story. Maybe if I was thirteen it would be more entertaining.
Music plays throughout the entire movie, which comes off as a failed attempt at creativity. I love new filming techniques and what not, but this just didn't work for me. The music makes the entire movie feel like an intro or intermission scene. Maybe it is an attempt to disguise the bad acting.
To its credit, this would be a pretty good plot for a porno film.
Many scenes are unnecessarily prolonged. I started to skip ahead through the last half, and it became slightly more tolerable.
The dialog is stream of conscience, and mostly failed to contribute to the story. Maybe if I was thirteen it would be more entertaining.
Music plays throughout the entire movie, which comes off as a failed attempt at creativity. I love new filming techniques and what not, but this just didn't work for me. The music makes the entire movie feel like an intro or intermission scene. Maybe it is an attempt to disguise the bad acting.
To its credit, this would be a pretty good plot for a porno film.
Indecent Proposal meets Wild Things.
BraveHawk2 February 2005
When Will I Be Loved is a story about Vera (Neve Campbell), who seems to be struggling with who she is and what she wants out of life. She has a scheming boyfriend named Ford (Fred Weller) whose character is directly lifted from Phone Booth's Stu Shepard, played by Colin Farrell. The two characters are nearly identical, only Ford is not as likable. Other than this, there is no real storyline going on until, after what seems like an eternity, the last 15-20 minutes. It becomes a cross between Indecent Proposal and Wild Things.
Truthfully, this movie bored me until the 3rd act. There is one main reason most men wanted to see this film, and most of you know what it is. Neve Campbell is featured in her first nude scene. While I am certainly all for her doing this, I believe it was done because her career had become a little stagnant. She has not really done anything to note since Scream. I think she had the right idea to get some attention back on herself, she just picked the wrong movie to do it with. There was not even any real reason to have the nudity. It did nothing for the plot, which was nearly non-existent. It was simply thrown in at the beginning and the end. Again, I'm thankful, but I feel it could have been put to better use in a better film with better meaning. It is the only reason I'm giving this movie 5 of 10 stars.
Truthfully, this movie bored me until the 3rd act. There is one main reason most men wanted to see this film, and most of you know what it is. Neve Campbell is featured in her first nude scene. While I am certainly all for her doing this, I believe it was done because her career had become a little stagnant. She has not really done anything to note since Scream. I think she had the right idea to get some attention back on herself, she just picked the wrong movie to do it with. There was not even any real reason to have the nudity. It did nothing for the plot, which was nearly non-existent. It was simply thrown in at the beginning and the end. Again, I'm thankful, but I feel it could have been put to better use in a better film with better meaning. It is the only reason I'm giving this movie 5 of 10 stars.
two most puzzling things about this film
danda2k4 July 2005
Why the film was even made is the first and lesser of the two puzzles I came away with. The second was that the Chicago Sun Times and Roger Ebert went totally overboard in praising it. I can imagine that some misguided individuals in Hollywood thought the film would "work" or at least make a profit, but how some big-time media people be so taken with so awkward an effort really surprises me. I noticed that many professional reviewers rated the film well below 50/100 but the few comments by ordinary viewers were even more telling in terms of negative reaction. This film seems to me a perfect example of how too many of the media pros quite often give far more praise to a film than do ordinary viewers. I always read all the professional reviews and find them cleverly written and well worth the reading, but I very often turn to the comments from the crowd to bring me down to earth.
An Excellent Choice For the Evening!
ashthecat325 October 2004
I was bored so I went to this recently released film by myself.
I had read Ebert's 4 star review of it and since it was in limited release, I thought I'd go check it out.
I wasn't disappointed!
The local "2nd run" theater here in town specializes in getting those limited release indy films and they finally got it this weekend.
I also got the entire theater to myself. What a rare treat!
This is a very talky film and is definitely one of those where you can't check your brain at the door when you go in to see it. It is not a mindless action flick...there's barely any real serious action it it at all. It does contain violence though and it comes quickly and shockingly at the end. You know something bad will happen but you don't know what it will be.
This movie is sort of a more hardcore version of "Indecent Proposal" and that particular film is actually mentioned in it by Campbell's boyfriend Ford. He uses it to introduce her to the idea of being with the billionaire so he can get the money.
This is without a doubt, the best role I've ever seen Neve Campbell in. She is so graceful & elegant, you can hardly take your eyes off her.
Many times when she smiled in the movie, I found myself smiling with her. For us guys, we get a great first shot in the movie of Neve totally nude in the shower but that is a pretty much a bonus perk. The real treat is just looking at her face, watching her mannerisms and observing how she lays the trap for both of these men to fall in.
Ebert was right in his 4 star review of this film to state that not many actresses could've played her character effectively.
I was quickly drawn in by the excellent character development in the first half of the film which is done so well, you can easily believe the events that unfold at the end. The music for the film starts out with various hip-hop then changes to a equal mix of violin music and then to piano. It fits the film very well.
The running time is a bit short though. The movie started at 9:40 pm and when the end credits rolled, I checked my watch to see that it was 10:58 pm. Official specs state that the film is only 81 minutes long.
I highly recommend this film! It is perfect for an evening viewing with the wife or girlfriend.
I had read Ebert's 4 star review of it and since it was in limited release, I thought I'd go check it out.
I wasn't disappointed!
The local "2nd run" theater here in town specializes in getting those limited release indy films and they finally got it this weekend.
I also got the entire theater to myself. What a rare treat!
This is a very talky film and is definitely one of those where you can't check your brain at the door when you go in to see it. It is not a mindless action flick...there's barely any real serious action it it at all. It does contain violence though and it comes quickly and shockingly at the end. You know something bad will happen but you don't know what it will be.
This movie is sort of a more hardcore version of "Indecent Proposal" and that particular film is actually mentioned in it by Campbell's boyfriend Ford. He uses it to introduce her to the idea of being with the billionaire so he can get the money.
This is without a doubt, the best role I've ever seen Neve Campbell in. She is so graceful & elegant, you can hardly take your eyes off her.
Many times when she smiled in the movie, I found myself smiling with her. For us guys, we get a great first shot in the movie of Neve totally nude in the shower but that is a pretty much a bonus perk. The real treat is just looking at her face, watching her mannerisms and observing how she lays the trap for both of these men to fall in.
Ebert was right in his 4 star review of this film to state that not many actresses could've played her character effectively.
I was quickly drawn in by the excellent character development in the first half of the film which is done so well, you can easily believe the events that unfold at the end. The music for the film starts out with various hip-hop then changes to a equal mix of violin music and then to piano. It fits the film very well.
The running time is a bit short though. The movie started at 9:40 pm and when the end credits rolled, I checked my watch to see that it was 10:58 pm. Official specs state that the film is only 81 minutes long.
I highly recommend this film! It is perfect for an evening viewing with the wife or girlfriend.
a waste of my life
geniuswoman5 February 2005
When Will I be Loved is a film that attempts at many things but fails miserably. The title in itself is misleading in that it gives the impression that the main character, Vera, is searching for love that's owed her. In fact, Vera appears to have everything one could possibly wish for in life, including two caring doting parents. Why she chooses to engage in self-destructive and vindicative behavior is a complete mystery. The only reasonable conclusion one could make is that she is bored with with the perfectness of the life into which she is born and wishes to disturb that somehow by becoming attached to a hustler. This movie is pretentious and ridiculous beyond reason. The characters are written in such a way that they are not even recognizable as human, but rather just qualities. Non of the characters are accessible on any level, which makes the viewer completely apathetic to the outcome of their dilemmas. I, for one, was angry that I had wasted my time with a film that was not pleasing on ANY level. In fact, as the previous reviewer mentioned, the music that we are inundated with is distracting and serves no particular purpose. A bitter revolting taste still remains in my mouth from having watched this one hour ago.
Neve doesn't get enough credit
trubbleinparadise9 February 2007
I liked this movie. She has many levels to her, but never gets enough credit. She held her own in this movie, but some of the other parts could have been left out. Mainly her boyfriend doing the three women in the park. He was a shyster, that was figured out from the beginning. I'm glad he got screwed. I figured she would have just paid him off and kept the extra. Women need to keep all their earnings! OK, so it was just a movie, but a woman can dream. I'm not sure how I missed this when it first came out, but I'm glad I was able to catch it now and am spreading the word! I was never a big fan of Ria, but really liked the 'Butterflies' song.
Interesting Film
russem3127 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"When Will I Be Loved" (2004) is an interesting film that explores the issue of sexuality and the feeling of being wanted, of being loved. Though not done completely successfully, there are many interesting elements here. This includes Neve Campbell as the lead character Vera who does a very good job in her role as well as Dominic Chianese as the Count. There is an intriguing use of music too, with different styles of music representing the individual characters in the film. For example, Neve Campbell is represented by Bach. And the cinematography in her apartment is extraordinary, especially the red couch (which is a complete contrast to her, since she's wearing black throughout the film). All in all, interesting if not perfect.
I didn't like it
stveller20 November 2005
I watched this movie to look at Neve Campbell.....possibly the reason the movie makers made it. She is beautiful and a fine actress. A lot of the dialog was interesting,seemed to be a lot of ad libbing. What the heck was Lori Singer doing in the movie? Neve's character meets her in the park and says "Hi Lori" and they talk a few minutes about movies. Mike Tyson also makes an appearance as himself and seems to have some acting talent. The film starts and ends with Neve Campbell in a shower. The rest is a waste of eyes and ears. I usually agree with Roger Ebert,but he was one of the very few critics that liked the film. He gave it a top rating. Maybe he loves Neve more than me.
Neve Fans Beware
jmlazare15 September 2004
I am sorry, but this might have been the absolute worst film I have ever seen. I am not usually a harsh critic, but this movie made me ashamed to call myself a fan of Neve Campbell's work. It has no plot, makes no sense, begins stories that it doesn't finish, and goes nowhere. In a word, it sucks. I mean, who cares about a spoiled, rich girl and her sexual escapades. And wow - she's like girls too. A novelty in twenty-first century film-making. Not even the sex scenes were stimulating. Personally, I could have done quite well without being subjected to Neve's pained expressions while being done from behind by her slimy pimp of a boyfriend. And what is with the "African" professor? He is there in the beginning, and then suddenly he's just gone (thank god). I'm not sure if the fact that it is barely over an hour long is a positive or a negative. Negative, because who wants to pay what it costs today to see a film for a mere hour of movie-watching, but positive because I don't think I could have stood a minute longer of such utter crap. I don't think I have ever seen so many people walk out of a theatre mid-movie. The only reason I didn't leave myself was my unfulfilled hope that somehow the movie would redeem itself with an interesting ending. Apologies for my crudeness, but crap is truly what this wannabe Cruel Intentions meets Wild Things meets Indecent Proposal is.
When Will this Junk be Trashed ?
mailtoss22 December 2005
I am a great fan of Neve & what a disappointment. This is total junk filled with lot of nasty & unnecessary stuff. Although the film tries to explain the concept of lonely woman in search of true love the story, dialogs, music & the director has made it unable to watch. The story line is thin, not at all gripping, the dialogs are just filler & the music is just too bad to listen. Some scenes are filled just to kill time & are not worth watching. I was really fed up watching the first half itself not to mention about the second half. I wonder why Neve has acted in this movie. Total waste of time & money. Please avoid even if you accidentally bought it.
Neve
SnoopyStyle5 March 2018
Sexual being Vera Barrie (Neve Campbell) is hired by African studies Professor Hassan Al-Ibrahim Ben Rabinowitz (James Toback) as his assistant. Hustler Ford Welles (Frederick Weller) is working for wealthy Italian Count Tommaso Lupo (Dominic Chianese). He convinces sex partner Vera to spend time with the count for $100k.
I remember the main selling point for this was Neve getting naked. With the recent revelations about James Toback, it's impossible to separate the man from his work. Luckily, his work here isn't good and I'm not conflicted about crapping on this. I only feel bad for Neve Campbell. She was obviously trying to do an art indie as she searched for her place in Hollywood. The other notable is a cameo from pre-tattoo Mike Tyson. It may be one of his last appearance before his tattoo. All the cameo starting with Toback himself are disconnected. They make this guerrilla indie fractured like a student film. The central premise holds some problems mainly with the money. Surely, Vera would want a 50/50 split before the meeting. After getting paid, she could try to buy him off. The conflict could still happen after he finds out the secret but in a different way. The money part lacks credibility. Sadly, Neve's nudity is all that's left. Through it all, she somehow maintains her dignity which is far more than can be hoped for. Toback probably spent more time lining up cameo rather than writing a compelling script. Toback is unable to advance beyond his sad experience.
I remember the main selling point for this was Neve getting naked. With the recent revelations about James Toback, it's impossible to separate the man from his work. Luckily, his work here isn't good and I'm not conflicted about crapping on this. I only feel bad for Neve Campbell. She was obviously trying to do an art indie as she searched for her place in Hollywood. The other notable is a cameo from pre-tattoo Mike Tyson. It may be one of his last appearance before his tattoo. All the cameo starting with Toback himself are disconnected. They make this guerrilla indie fractured like a student film. The central premise holds some problems mainly with the money. Surely, Vera would want a 50/50 split before the meeting. After getting paid, she could try to buy him off. The conflict could still happen after he finds out the secret but in a different way. The money part lacks credibility. Sadly, Neve's nudity is all that's left. Through it all, she somehow maintains her dignity which is far more than can be hoped for. Toback probably spent more time lining up cameo rather than writing a compelling script. Toback is unable to advance beyond his sad experience.
Do not even consider wasting a valuable part of your life watching this tripe
glormac8 July 2006
This is one of those truly awful films whose true awfulness doesn't even amuse the viewer. Sometimes a perverse enjoyment can be derived from very bad movies; all that can be derived from this is a keen sense of having wasted a valuable segment of one's alloted time on this earth. The sex scenes are as most risible, boring and lacking in eroticism as one can imagine: there was more eroticism in "The Donna Reed Show" - note to those of you not old enough to remember this piece of televisual entertainment, Donna and her unfortunate husband shared a bedroom but not beds. The script, if there was one, is meaningless, wandering twaddle. The plot, such as it is, could have been successfully resolved in fifteen minutes, and the denouement is just plain preposterous. To those of you still determined to watch this because you think it might offer some sexual gratification I can only say again "THERE IS NO SEX IN THIS MOVIE This film is as entertaining as athlete's foot.
a movie about absolutely nothing at all...
filipus_maximus4 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
for the frustrated guys amongst us: watch the first five minutes and then turn it off, no more boobs from that point on (I know it was a real downer for me too) for all the rest: don't even bother looking at all, jeez. it started with neve under the shower, OK, nice potential, and then nothing. absolutely nothing at all. a few random conversations, poor acting... a bit like watching a porn movie, without all the explicit sex and daring (read skimpy) costumes. after one hour of dribble and complete boredom, there is a twist in the plot! huge surprise for me, because I thought there was no plot up until this point. she gets the cash, dumps the boyfriend and gets away with it. Where the cash came from, how the boyfriend fits into it all, I have no idea, and I couldn't bare to watch it again to figure it out. what a waste of money and ... (talent? Nah, money!)
in the words of Krusty the clown: "I could have pulled a better movie out of my ..Hey, Hey!"
in the words of Krusty the clown: "I could have pulled a better movie out of my ..Hey, Hey!"
81 minutes of bad music, worse dialog, and too much "character development"
jmjames81 December 2005
The summary say it all.
This was the 2nd worst movie I have seen to date. #1 being I heart huckabees.
This film has no redeeming qualities. The sex scenes are flaccid at best. The score overpowers the crappy dialog but not enough that you do not hear it.
The "character development" was lame, and went on way too long.
Felt caught between wanting to see a naked Nave and the desire to scratch my eyes out.
Just like with Huckabees I kept waiting some the film to get better but alas it didn't.
I have seen softcore porn with better plots, and at least most of them get you a little turned on by their sex scenes.
Not worth the time even if the movie is for free, and someone else buys your popcorn, candy and drink.
This was the 2nd worst movie I have seen to date. #1 being I heart huckabees.
This film has no redeeming qualities. The sex scenes are flaccid at best. The score overpowers the crappy dialog but not enough that you do not hear it.
The "character development" was lame, and went on way too long.
Felt caught between wanting to see a naked Nave and the desire to scratch my eyes out.
Just like with Huckabees I kept waiting some the film to get better but alas it didn't.
I have seen softcore porn with better plots, and at least most of them get you a little turned on by their sex scenes.
Not worth the time even if the movie is for free, and someone else buys your popcorn, candy and drink.
Toback delivers another effective character study
rosscinema10 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This can be looked at as a sort of modern film noir with characters that have many things on their mind and a script loaded with crisp dialog and while it doesn't really have any bona fide surprises to deliver it's a film that's quietly effective in it's purpose. Story is set in Manhattan where we see Vera Barrie (Neve Campbell) who's parents are rich and lavish her with things to make her life comfortable but they want her to dump her boyfriend. Her boyfriend is Ford Welles (Fred Weller) who's a sleazy and conniving street hustler who is trying to pimp Vera to an Italian Count named Tommaso Lupo (Dominic Chianese) for $100,000 but Ford doesn't know her as well as he thinks he does.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** What Ford doesn't know about Vera is that she's a free spirited bisexual with a girlfriend of her own on the side and when she eventually meets the count she ups the ante to a million dollars in cash which he delivers to her! Vera has money of her own and she doesn't like the thought of men trying to use and buy her so she sets up a confrontation between Ford and the count which will benefit her.
This is made by writer/director James Toback who excels with small films about interesting characters and he made quite a mark for himself in 1978 with "Fingers" and his trademark dialog is evident in all of his films. Because Toback usually lacks a substantial budget for his efforts he has routinely shot his films quickly (this was filmed in 11 days!) and they have an undeniable raw quality and freshness. Toback's scripts also give actors a chance to shine but it has more to due with the fact that he allows them opportunities for creative moments and Campbell is especially strong. Showing her muscular legs from "The Company" Campbell is an exciting entity and it's her first venture into displaying her naked body on film but the nudity is more than just an exploitive option it's also to show that her character is open and very strong willed. One thing that I think hurts this film is the fact that audiences are supposed to buy into the fact that Campbell's character would have such a disgusting scumbag for a boyfriend especially when we learn early on how smart Vera really is. How much fun could a broke hustler be? Some may consider this too slow moving to appreciate but I found the scene with Vera and the count so intriguing that it's probably worth the price of admission alone. Interesting little film has a good and sexy performance by Campbell and while this is not exactly riveting in terms of drama it does give fans of Toback another chance to view his unique talent.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** What Ford doesn't know about Vera is that she's a free spirited bisexual with a girlfriend of her own on the side and when she eventually meets the count she ups the ante to a million dollars in cash which he delivers to her! Vera has money of her own and she doesn't like the thought of men trying to use and buy her so she sets up a confrontation between Ford and the count which will benefit her.
This is made by writer/director James Toback who excels with small films about interesting characters and he made quite a mark for himself in 1978 with "Fingers" and his trademark dialog is evident in all of his films. Because Toback usually lacks a substantial budget for his efforts he has routinely shot his films quickly (this was filmed in 11 days!) and they have an undeniable raw quality and freshness. Toback's scripts also give actors a chance to shine but it has more to due with the fact that he allows them opportunities for creative moments and Campbell is especially strong. Showing her muscular legs from "The Company" Campbell is an exciting entity and it's her first venture into displaying her naked body on film but the nudity is more than just an exploitive option it's also to show that her character is open and very strong willed. One thing that I think hurts this film is the fact that audiences are supposed to buy into the fact that Campbell's character would have such a disgusting scumbag for a boyfriend especially when we learn early on how smart Vera really is. How much fun could a broke hustler be? Some may consider this too slow moving to appreciate but I found the scene with Vera and the count so intriguing that it's probably worth the price of admission alone. Interesting little film has a good and sexy performance by Campbell and while this is not exactly riveting in terms of drama it does give fans of Toback another chance to view his unique talent.
Utterly hideous.
stephinspace21 September 2007
Ugh. Is there really anything else to say about this film? Neve Campbell is completely unconvincing as an object of anyone's desire. She's not talented, nor is she attractive (why hasn't her agent told her to get that overbite fixed???). The sex scenes are crap, the music is distracting, the dialogue is irritating. It seems almost as though there was a longer, better, more interesting film here, but all of the good parts were mysteriously clipped out, leaving behind this disjointed, amateur, faux-artsy heap of rubbish. The pacing in this film is completely off. Why do we need to see 45 minutes of her in that unflattering dress, walking around the city having awkward conversations with random people? Skip this film. Or, if you're really hard up, just skip to the sex scenes. Wait, no, don't, they're awful. Yes, even the lesbian scene. It's really not worth suffering through the rest of this garbage.
A showcase of Neve Campbell's acting chops.
MOVEEFRK-122 September 2004
Reading through several posts on this movie, I couldn't help but laugh. People just aren't keen to the idea of a director doing his own thing and making his own kind of movie. I especially loved the post where the person compared it as a "Cruel Intentions" wannabe! That was the best, but obviously the person doesn't know what they are talking about.
If anything, this movie is a mix between Altman(improv) Mamet (wordy dialogue) and Verhoeven(all the booty). This movie might not be the most original but it does try(and mostly prevails). Instead of making Neve Campbell's character too cunning and calculated, the filmmaker makes her motivations even more frightening: her sheer boredom and her realization that she is being used. & instead of planning the events out (like most movie hero/ heroines would)and things coming together so smoothly, The character improvs her actions which make the situation more shocking.
James Toback is a wild director and works in his own way. He has made some brilliant movies over the years (Fingers,Black and White, writer for Bugsy) and even with some misses he still never hesitates to keep doing what he likes doing best. And Neve Campbell just shines in this movies. She speaks Tobaks talky dialogue with finesse and keeps the audience wanting more.
If nothing else, see this movie for Neve Campbells performance.
If anything, this movie is a mix between Altman(improv) Mamet (wordy dialogue) and Verhoeven(all the booty). This movie might not be the most original but it does try(and mostly prevails). Instead of making Neve Campbell's character too cunning and calculated, the filmmaker makes her motivations even more frightening: her sheer boredom and her realization that she is being used. & instead of planning the events out (like most movie hero/ heroines would)and things coming together so smoothly, The character improvs her actions which make the situation more shocking.
James Toback is a wild director and works in his own way. He has made some brilliant movies over the years (Fingers,Black and White, writer for Bugsy) and even with some misses he still never hesitates to keep doing what he likes doing best. And Neve Campbell just shines in this movies. She speaks Tobaks talky dialogue with finesse and keeps the audience wanting more.
If nothing else, see this movie for Neve Campbells performance.
Not especially good, but you get to see Neve in the buff
zetes31 January 2005
Weird and rather pretentious movie, but it held my interest. It did feel like writer/director Toback forgot to write a third act. The film ends abruptly and unsatisfactorily. Neve Campbell plays a manipulative sexpot whose boyfriend (Fred Weller) prostitutes her to some rich old Italian guy (Dominic Chianese). The situation is pretty much ripped off from Indecent Proposal, although I never saw that one and don't know where it went with that same premise. Toback's film is interesting outside of the plot, especially in the introductory sequence, which cuts back and forth between Campbell and Weller without telling us how they're connected. Of course, if you've heard about this movie at all and most have not, I think it's because of Neve's naked body. She did the sex thing, and even the lesbian thing, way back in Wild Things. That was just barely a step above pornography. Last year, Neve worked with Robert Altman, in a project which she herself initiated. I guess with When Will I Be Loved, she decided that, now that she's becoming a respectful actress, she had to do an art movie where she gets naked and makes out with a girl. In reality, this is about a step and a half above porn. Well, okay, I'm not really complaining that she made such a decision. 6/10.
So, what is this about a no-nudity clause in Neve's contract?
griffinator016 December 2005
Forgive me for being extremely blunt, but Neve Campbell is such a lying hypocrite. I saw her complaining on a late night talk show some time about gratuitous nudity in movies today. She said she would never show off her body or appear in such movies, unless it is tastefully done.
No, Neve, you're just a snob, and a hypocrite to boot! You're playing a call girl. Yeah, that's a big stretch from Hollywood, really!
How is this movie any different from any other soft-core porn made in Hollywood? This movie is gratuitous from beginning to end. Just because it is an independent movie, it does not make this movie any different from a Hollywood, formula-driven spanker flick.
I've seen better adult dramas made in the past. "Unfaithful" was a better made movie. "Delta of Venus" was a better made movie. "9 1/2 Weeks" is a better made movie. This movie simply stinks.
I'm glad I caught this video for free at the library. If I rented this sludge from a video store, I'd be screaming at the clerk for my money back. Please, avoid this movie like the plague.
No, Neve, you're just a snob, and a hypocrite to boot! You're playing a call girl. Yeah, that's a big stretch from Hollywood, really!
How is this movie any different from any other soft-core porn made in Hollywood? This movie is gratuitous from beginning to end. Just because it is an independent movie, it does not make this movie any different from a Hollywood, formula-driven spanker flick.
I've seen better adult dramas made in the past. "Unfaithful" was a better made movie. "Delta of Venus" was a better made movie. "9 1/2 Weeks" is a better made movie. This movie simply stinks.
I'm glad I caught this video for free at the library. If I rented this sludge from a video store, I'd be screaming at the clerk for my money back. Please, avoid this movie like the plague.
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