Director Peter Weir appears to have been 'Moonstruck' in his latest film, a fizzy romantic comedy about an inconvenient marriage of convenience between uptight, uptown Andie McDowell and rogue Frenchman Gerard Depardieu. When the INS comes knocking at McDowell's door the couple suddenly has just 48 hours to get acquainted and invent a mutual history; predictably, they fall in genuine love as well. It's an amusing, if somewhat one-sided courtship: Depardieu may be a slob, but he's a cultured, passionate slob, and because everyone except McDowell loves him on sight (and since there isn't any competition from her arrogant, politically correct, vegetarian boyfriend) it's only a matter of time before Depardieu charms her down from her ivory tower. Romantic comedy obviously isn't Weir's forte; he supposedly wrote the script with Depardieu in mind, but it's too bad the same can't be said for McDowell's underdeveloped character: an urban fairy tale princess waiting for the frog (no pun intended) to kiss her. The film nevertheless shows the same economy of style that highlights all of Weir's features, and it benefits from the winning presence of Depardieu, whose energy translates well into any language.
53 Reviews
Better than expected
philip_vanderveken23 August 2005
I'm normally not too much a fan of Gérard Depardieu, at least not when he plays a role in a movie that isn't French. But this time I was willing to make an exception and the main reason for that is because I was interested in the subject of fake marriages in order to be able to stay in the country permanently. It's a problem that is all too known known over here as well and I couldn't think of any other romantic movie that dared to use this subject. That's why I was curious about it.
George Fauré is a French citizen who has been offered a job in the U.S.A., but before he can start working, he'll need a work permit. Since it's very difficult for him to get one, the easiest way is to marry an American woman. Brontë Parrish loves plants and has dedicated her entire life to them. Now she has found a wonderful flat with its own greenhouse, but there is one problem: the flat is for married couples only. The best solution for both is a marriage, but to convince the immigration officers that they are married for love and not out of convenience, they must move in with each other and try to cope with all the difficulties that this will bring...
It wouldn't have been a romantic comedy / drama if there weren't the necessary complications between the two people, so in that perspective this certainly isn't an original movie. But there is one difference: normally this kind of movies never shows a marriage of convenience, as it is something that doesn't belong in the perfect image of love and happiness that this kind of movies wants to portray. Fact is that it is a 'daring' move - although only to a certain extend - that really works. I really didn't have any problem to believe that in reality Brontë and Georges would never marry because their worlds are too far apart. And I admit that I was still a bit surprised when seeing the end of the movie. Of course their ideas about each other change, this is still a romantic movie, but it was all done in a very decent way.
Overall the acting in this movie is quite good. Despite the fact that I had my doubts about him before watching the movie I must admit that I even liked Depardieu, probably because he didn't have to conceal his awful French accent when speaking English. He more or less could be himself this time and that's good. Also nice was Andie MacDowell's performance and I loved Jessie Keosian as the noisy landlady.
All in all this is an interesting romantic drama - I wouldn't really call it a comedy - that offers a good story and some nice acting. It's perhaps not the best in the genre, but it's certainly better than average. That's why I give this movie a 7/10.
George Fauré is a French citizen who has been offered a job in the U.S.A., but before he can start working, he'll need a work permit. Since it's very difficult for him to get one, the easiest way is to marry an American woman. Brontë Parrish loves plants and has dedicated her entire life to them. Now she has found a wonderful flat with its own greenhouse, but there is one problem: the flat is for married couples only. The best solution for both is a marriage, but to convince the immigration officers that they are married for love and not out of convenience, they must move in with each other and try to cope with all the difficulties that this will bring...
It wouldn't have been a romantic comedy / drama if there weren't the necessary complications between the two people, so in that perspective this certainly isn't an original movie. But there is one difference: normally this kind of movies never shows a marriage of convenience, as it is something that doesn't belong in the perfect image of love and happiness that this kind of movies wants to portray. Fact is that it is a 'daring' move - although only to a certain extend - that really works. I really didn't have any problem to believe that in reality Brontë and Georges would never marry because their worlds are too far apart. And I admit that I was still a bit surprised when seeing the end of the movie. Of course their ideas about each other change, this is still a romantic movie, but it was all done in a very decent way.
Overall the acting in this movie is quite good. Despite the fact that I had my doubts about him before watching the movie I must admit that I even liked Depardieu, probably because he didn't have to conceal his awful French accent when speaking English. He more or less could be himself this time and that's good. Also nice was Andie MacDowell's performance and I loved Jessie Keosian as the noisy landlady.
All in all this is an interesting romantic drama - I wouldn't really call it a comedy - that offers a good story and some nice acting. It's perhaps not the best in the genre, but it's certainly better than average. That's why I give this movie a 7/10.
Decent though rarely hilarious romcom
thehumanduvet20 February 2001
A romantic comedy-drama really, with far fewer laughs and much more sentiment than typical for the genre, though seemingly based on the favourite romcom premise that two people thrown into a position of intimacy for an extended period will inevitably fall into a touching and romantic love no matter how incompatible they at first appear. Depardieu comes across very well, though really doesn't need to try very hard to pull off the fairly stereotypical 'big french feller' he plays here, and MacDowell is her usual droney-voiced, moody-faced self, there to look pretty but prim rather than inspire any great feeling. The story ambles along nicely, taking in most of the standard licks of the genre ? impressing the friends, the family, high jinks with the neighbours, bad behaviour and heroism, shouting and laughing together to illustrate how love can emerge from conflict. Not hugely funny or romantic, but very nice to see that a romantic leading man could still smoke, drink and eat lots of butter in health-obsessed Hollywood back in 1990.
Offbeat and uplifting
inkblot1113 June 2003
For those looking for an offbeat, uplifting romantic comedy, this one fits the bill. Andie McDowell plays Bronte; she is a young city gardener who has her eye on a beautiful apartment with a greenhouse. The problem is she must be married in order to apply for it. Enter Gerard Depardieu. He plays an immigrant Frenchman looking to marry an American so he will have permanent residency status in the United States. A mutual friend arranges a paper marriage between the two. Bronte gets her apartment; Depardieu has what he wants, also. Unfortunately, the INS suspects it is a bogus marriage and the two have to "temporarily" move in together in order to prove their marriage is real. From the start, Bronte and her immigrant husband dislike each other. Yet, strange things can happen. This is a sweet story with plenty of laughs sprinkled throughout. McDowell looks stunning and Depardieu, despite carrying a lot of extra weight, charms and delights. Nice little touches, such as the scenes where the couple take fake photographs of their honeymoon, are prevalent. Take a chance on Green Card; it's guaranteed to give the viewer permanent smiling status.
Love for sale
goya-46 October 2000
Gerard Depardieu and Andie McDowell meet and for mutually beneficial reasons end up getting married..he so he can stay in the country and she so she can get the rent controlled Manhatten apartment..alas they must convince the INS that their marriage is true so they get to know each other, grudgingly of course at first..until love intervenes. A charming movie that features a good matchup with McDowell and Depardieu..good date film too. on a scale of one to ten..7
The little morsel that grew.
f6422 November 2001
The more I see this simple little expository on human relationships the more I see in the little human relationships in this simple expository. Obviously not a Hollyrock special, this film is actually a French-Australian production collaboration that is wide shot (very wide shot) in Nyerk. No chase scenes, no violence, no blood, no gore, no sex, no language (unless you understand French); you might say that this is good family entertainment except that the emotions and relationships that are explored are not meant for children. Yes, it is a comedy, but it is a one hanky comedy. Even the sound track explores the range of emotional relationship music (everything from Mozart to Enya, who isn't Mozart by the way).
I rated this a seven because (I probably need to watch this a few more times) the ending sucked. I personally think Weir was running fast and loose with the INS and this caused the film to end without resolution of the main characters' relationship. But if you like the New York City ambiance, sophisticated, intelligent relationships and a good cast of pro actors you will like this film.
I rated this a seven because (I probably need to watch this a few more times) the ending sucked. I personally think Weir was running fast and loose with the INS and this caused the film to end without resolution of the main characters' relationship. But if you like the New York City ambiance, sophisticated, intelligent relationships and a good cast of pro actors you will like this film.
How many times did it happen?
daumas15 July 1999
A french immigrant wants to get the so wanted and famous GREENCARD. The easiest way to get a (real) one (at that time) is getting a an american spouse. At the same time, an american girl needs a spouse to rent the apartment she wants. Among the several interviews for the INS, they both discover the love... Excellent performances of Andie Macdowell and Gerard Depardieu
Excruciating "romantic comedy"
mnpollio17 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I can be a sucker for romantic comedies just like anyone else - good ones, that is. Green Card most definitely does not fall within that realm, which is probably a good reason why so few people remember it. Andie MacDowell is an upper crust horticulturist who finds her dream apartment in NYC with its own greenhouse. For plot purposes, only a married couple can occupy the apartment. So she enters into a marriage of convenience with Frenchman Gerard Depardieu. He to get his green card and she to nab her apartment. As the clichés fly fast and furious, naturally the two are complete opposites who cannot initially stand each other. Naturally, as they are forced to get to know each other intimately in order to fool immigration officials, the two will move towards a grudging admiration and then love. There are no particular surprises in Green Card, but then romantic comedies do have a certain formula they follow. The secret is in enjoying the banter and chemistry of the leads while they hit the familiar notes. It is impossible to see how anyone could enjoy time spent with either Bronte or George - the characters played by MacDowell and Depardieu. Bronte is the typical caricature of a hoity-toity snot, a woman who feels she is better than everyone in the room and is not provided any evidence by the film to the contrary. She seems to have little regard for other people's feelings and is herself a dreadfully dull and uninteresting person. By contrast, Depardieu is downright scary. His days as an international sex symbol long past, Depardieu arrives in the film looking a good 50 lbs. overweight, beady eyes peering from behind hanks of greasy hair, and one can somewhat understand Bronte's alarm at having to open a room up to this creepy ugly thug. Unlike MacDowell, at least Depardieu does try to lighten things up a bit, but he is cursed with a screenplay that gives him precious little to work with as well as the embarrassing habit of having every woman in the piece outside of McDowell lust after him and describe him on initial meeting as "delicious". A factor that would be laughable if it did not have the habit of making the women in question seem so pathetic in their lascivious thoughts over someone who resembles an Idaho potato. To say that the leads share non-existent chemistry is an understatement of vast proportions. No, these are actors that should not even appear in the same film, much less as a romantic coupling. As the film monotonously grinds to its conclusion, it stupidly concludes with Depardieu largely acing the immigration interview and then confessing everything to the authorities merely because he cannot remember the face cream that MacDowell uses (how many husbands can truly remember such a detail?). As the love birds are being parted, an insipid romantic dirge plays over their closing embrace with the singer wailing about how everything is going to be OK. Actually it is not OK - I have lost 90 minutes of my life to this excruciating ordeal and want someone to give it back!
One of my favorite movies ever
HotToastyRag28 July 2019
Green Card is one of my favorite movies ever. Yes, everyone knows I'm a sucker for a good script, a beautiful girl, and a hunky guy, but this movie is so much more than that. It's a story of the American Dream, a testament to opposites attracting, and a thoughtful argument about law and order. It can spark a political debate, give even the most cynical spinster hope for love, and make an unsuspecting fan of the romantic comedy genre. Peter Weir's script-loosely based on 1989's The Paper Wedding, but oddly enough nominated for Best Original Screenplay by the Academy Awards-will make you laugh and reach for a Kleenex. He wrote it as an American debut for French superstar Gérard Depardieu, who at that time had a Best Actor César award and nine additional nominations, a Venice Film Festival award for Best Actor, and BAFTA nomination under his belt.
What a debut! He's so charming, so magnetic, so sensitive, it's impossible to dislike him. Weir's screenplay allowed for a mixture of French and English so Gérard could focus on his talent rather than a language barrier, and the result is pure magic. He plays a character similar to his real-life persona: someone incredibly generous and loving, trying to start a new chapter of his life in America, and far more sensitive than people suspect. So, when you're falling in love with his on-screen portrayal, it's safe to say you're also falling in love with him as a person. It's no wonder he's one of my favorite celebrity boyfriends.
On to the story, although with all that praise, you're probably anxious to rent a copy already, right? Andie MacDowell is a horticulturalist, and she wants to take up the lease of a beautiful apartment in New York with a neglected greenhouse. The apartment complex is only interested in renting to a married couple. Gérard Depardieu is a Frenchman looking to stay in America without applying for citizenship. Through a mutual friend, Andie and Gérard marry then part ways to pursue their own dreams. When immigration comes calling, they have to scramble around to pretend they're really married. Don't worry if you have a strong opposition to marriages of conveniences. As Andie's lawyer, Robert Prosky has a great line: "It's called breaking the law. Now, no matter how trivial it may have seemed to you at the time, that's what you've done." This is not a one-sided movie; it doesn't bombard you with a point of view it thinks you should have.
Every detail is important, ensuring that you'll get more out of the movie every time you watch it, which is one of the greatest signs of a good movie. In the kitchen, there's a brief close-up of Gérard fiddling with a garlic bulb. His fingers try to pry a clove out gently, nervously, and when his initial attempt doesn't work, he resorts to what he knows works for him and presses the heel of his hand forcefully against the bulb. One of the immigration agents, Ethan Phillips, asks an innocuous question, "May I use your bathroom?" because he knows it will make or break the interview. When Andie puts on her wedding ring before the interview, she struggles, to show she hasn't worn it in a long time.
From the get-go, Andie and Gérard have beautiful on-screen chemistry, even when their characters haven't figured it out yet. She's structured, he's spontaneous; she likes Muesli and decaffeinated coffee, he likes traditional French cooking; she's uptight, he's laid-back. When they pull together, the audience can see they bring out the best in each other, which is more than most opposites-attract romances do. When obstacles appear, whether small as in a flirty friend, Bebe Neuwirth, medium as in Andie's parents showing up at her apartment unexpectedly, or large as in the immigration issue, the script takes the audience through each hurdle smoothly, showing that this couple is so solidly matched, they can handle anything. They may have different reasons for doing what they're doing, but as Andie's dad, Conrad McLaren, summarizes, "We suddenly found ourselves in the same boat."
You've got to watch this movie. Whether it's because you love Andie MacDowell, you're anxious to hear Gérard speak English, or you're an awards groupie and want to see why it won Golden Globe awards for Best Picture and Best Actor in the comedic genres, you've got to watch it. Do yourself a favor and buy a DVD copy so you can watch it over and over again like I do. Every time I watch it, I'm instantly put in a better mood. It just doesn't get any better than Andie handing Gérard a hammer and saying, "Okay, do some handyman things!" It just doesn't get any better than Gérard saying more with one eyebrow raise than most actors say in an entire monologue. It just doesn't get any better than Green Card.
What a debut! He's so charming, so magnetic, so sensitive, it's impossible to dislike him. Weir's screenplay allowed for a mixture of French and English so Gérard could focus on his talent rather than a language barrier, and the result is pure magic. He plays a character similar to his real-life persona: someone incredibly generous and loving, trying to start a new chapter of his life in America, and far more sensitive than people suspect. So, when you're falling in love with his on-screen portrayal, it's safe to say you're also falling in love with him as a person. It's no wonder he's one of my favorite celebrity boyfriends.
On to the story, although with all that praise, you're probably anxious to rent a copy already, right? Andie MacDowell is a horticulturalist, and she wants to take up the lease of a beautiful apartment in New York with a neglected greenhouse. The apartment complex is only interested in renting to a married couple. Gérard Depardieu is a Frenchman looking to stay in America without applying for citizenship. Through a mutual friend, Andie and Gérard marry then part ways to pursue their own dreams. When immigration comes calling, they have to scramble around to pretend they're really married. Don't worry if you have a strong opposition to marriages of conveniences. As Andie's lawyer, Robert Prosky has a great line: "It's called breaking the law. Now, no matter how trivial it may have seemed to you at the time, that's what you've done." This is not a one-sided movie; it doesn't bombard you with a point of view it thinks you should have.
Every detail is important, ensuring that you'll get more out of the movie every time you watch it, which is one of the greatest signs of a good movie. In the kitchen, there's a brief close-up of Gérard fiddling with a garlic bulb. His fingers try to pry a clove out gently, nervously, and when his initial attempt doesn't work, he resorts to what he knows works for him and presses the heel of his hand forcefully against the bulb. One of the immigration agents, Ethan Phillips, asks an innocuous question, "May I use your bathroom?" because he knows it will make or break the interview. When Andie puts on her wedding ring before the interview, she struggles, to show she hasn't worn it in a long time.
From the get-go, Andie and Gérard have beautiful on-screen chemistry, even when their characters haven't figured it out yet. She's structured, he's spontaneous; she likes Muesli and decaffeinated coffee, he likes traditional French cooking; she's uptight, he's laid-back. When they pull together, the audience can see they bring out the best in each other, which is more than most opposites-attract romances do. When obstacles appear, whether small as in a flirty friend, Bebe Neuwirth, medium as in Andie's parents showing up at her apartment unexpectedly, or large as in the immigration issue, the script takes the audience through each hurdle smoothly, showing that this couple is so solidly matched, they can handle anything. They may have different reasons for doing what they're doing, but as Andie's dad, Conrad McLaren, summarizes, "We suddenly found ourselves in the same boat."
You've got to watch this movie. Whether it's because you love Andie MacDowell, you're anxious to hear Gérard speak English, or you're an awards groupie and want to see why it won Golden Globe awards for Best Picture and Best Actor in the comedic genres, you've got to watch it. Do yourself a favor and buy a DVD copy so you can watch it over and over again like I do. Every time I watch it, I'm instantly put in a better mood. It just doesn't get any better than Andie handing Gérard a hammer and saying, "Okay, do some handyman things!" It just doesn't get any better than Gérard saying more with one eyebrow raise than most actors say in an entire monologue. It just doesn't get any better than Green Card.
Il n'est pas seulement un visage joli
ianlouisiana1 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
How is it that only the French male can be attractive and ugly at the same time?Step forward Monsieur J-P Belmondo,M.Yves Montand,M.Charles Aznavour,M.Fernandel.....no.all right,he's just ugly,but the others have the certain something that appeals to women(and some blokes) all over the world.M.Gerard Depardieu is not only ugly he is distinctly chunky - quite fat actually, without wishing to legitimise sizeist stereotyping.However I am reliably informed that far from being a cheese-eating surrender monkey he is widely regarded as thinking-woman's crumpet. In "Green Card" he plays a French avant-garde composer living in New York. He wants to stay,the Immigration Service would rather he didn't. In order to ensure his "Right to Remain" status he engages in a marriage of convenience with slightly weird Miss Andie Mcdowell.In a splendid quid pro quo she needs to be married to get a roof garden(It's New York,go figure).Everybody's happy then?Well,not quite,that nasty I.N.S.are to conduct an enquiry into their marriage.Zut alors!What's a garcon to do? Prove to the I.N.S. that he and his femme are in love of course.Bien sur.Get ready to book your flight back to Paris,France,Monsieur. M.Depardieu is an elemental force of nature,Miss Mcdowell a little staid.What follows is a comedy of errors with high stakes for both of them. "Green Card" relies mainly on M.Depardieu's Gallic charm,Miss Mcdowell being,frankly,a little underwhelming,and he carries it off with no little panache.If I were she I would keep a close eye on him once he'd got his carte verte.
an unusual turn for Peter Weir
lee_eisenberg12 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
From what I've seen of Peter Weir's movies, he often likes to focus on cultures and historical events. "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "The Last Wave", "Gallipoli", "The Year of Living Dangerously" and "Witness" are examples. The rom-com "Green Card" is an unusual movie for him. It's an enjoyable movie. My favorite scene is when Georges attends the party with Bronte and has an awkward experience with the piano.
There's nothing special about the plot, but it's an OK movie. As to the issue of immigration, I guess that it should remind everyone that immigrants are what built this country.
There's nothing special about the plot, but it's an OK movie. As to the issue of immigration, I guess that it should remind everyone that immigrants are what built this country.
Different
Mort-313 August 2001
Usually, romantic comedies are all the same, concerning their tone and their dialogue. Green Card` by the great director Peter Weir (Truman Show`, Witness`!), is a little different, which alone makes it sympathetic.
The film evokes interest right at the beginning because if people don't know exactly what it is all about, they might not get immediately what's happening. Brontë is already married to Georges the French composer. Other directors or screenwriters would have shown their wedding in detail, peppered with gags. But Weir sees that this is not necessary, it would only follow the convention.
Later we have unexpected plot twists and changes in the characters that are not always convincing but give the film an interesting, not too light base tone. And actually, Peter Weir is a too enthusiastic director to make a visually rather undemanding romance film. So he introduces some wonderful visual ideas like the scene where Georges is standing in front of Brontë's door, covered with a blanket, calling her name, while the camera shoots him from inside, through the watcher`. I'm not particularly fond of Andie MacDowell because she always seems even more nervous than my English teacher, always presenting herself with a pained smile. In Green Card` of course, the fact that she is not at all likeable (to me at least) fits perfectly, and one little wonder of the movie is that Gérard Depardieu can convincingly play that he is falling in love with her.
A comedy surprise.
The film evokes interest right at the beginning because if people don't know exactly what it is all about, they might not get immediately what's happening. Brontë is already married to Georges the French composer. Other directors or screenwriters would have shown their wedding in detail, peppered with gags. But Weir sees that this is not necessary, it would only follow the convention.
Later we have unexpected plot twists and changes in the characters that are not always convincing but give the film an interesting, not too light base tone. And actually, Peter Weir is a too enthusiastic director to make a visually rather undemanding romance film. So he introduces some wonderful visual ideas like the scene where Georges is standing in front of Brontë's door, covered with a blanket, calling her name, while the camera shoots him from inside, through the watcher`. I'm not particularly fond of Andie MacDowell because she always seems even more nervous than my English teacher, always presenting herself with a pained smile. In Green Card` of course, the fact that she is not at all likeable (to me at least) fits perfectly, and one little wonder of the movie is that Gérard Depardieu can convincingly play that he is falling in love with her.
A comedy surprise.
Perhaps Not As Well Developed As It Could Have Been
Theo Robertson11 November 2007
GREEN CARD comes across as having a premise that would have worked superbly in a situation comedy . One where a protagonist needs a green card in order to stay in the country but problems arise when the authorities check out their story . You can just imagine Edmund Blackadder or Alun Partridge frantically trying to come up with a story when the immigration people start asking about their new found spouse . There's a very good reason why sit com episodes last 30 minutes while a feature film lasts at least three times that and why plots and premises are often interchangeable
There is some mileage behind the concept as French immigrant Georges tries to BS himself past his interrogators only to have one of them ask to use the toilet but being a romantic comedy there has to be a certain level of romance which dilutes the comedy . This doesn't make GREEN CARD a terrible film but does make it fairly predictable . It's also interesting to note the lack of impact French mega stars make in Hollywood movies . Watch Belmondo , Delon , Reno or Cassell in a French movie and they're truly charismatic . Watch them in an American movie and you'll wonder what all the fuss is about and it's the same with Gerard Depardieu in this film .
There is some mileage behind the concept as French immigrant Georges tries to BS himself past his interrogators only to have one of them ask to use the toilet but being a romantic comedy there has to be a certain level of romance which dilutes the comedy . This doesn't make GREEN CARD a terrible film but does make it fairly predictable . It's also interesting to note the lack of impact French mega stars make in Hollywood movies . Watch Belmondo , Delon , Reno or Cassell in a French movie and they're truly charismatic . Watch them in an American movie and you'll wonder what all the fuss is about and it's the same with Gerard Depardieu in this film .
So-so film from director Weir and star MacDowell, not awful, just contrived and not very funny
spencer-w-hensley21 June 2021
Peter Weir is a very hit and miss director. He has made some excellent films including Witness, Dead Poets Society and The Truman Show as well as some rather dreadful ones including The Year of Living Dangerously, Galipoli and The Mosquito Coast.
Remembering my fondness from the aforementioned three good films as well as my fondness for Andie MacDowell in later rom-coms Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral, as well as a premise that sounded funny I went into this with high expectations.
While this certainly isnt as bad as Weir's aforementioned films I disliked and MacDowell has done much worse like Michael with John Travolta, nonetheless this was a disappointing film and the reason for it is its script is totally contrived and unfortunately just not very funny.
I only counted one sincere laugh in the film.
Gerard Depraidu gives a decent enough performance but his character is such an arrogant, selfish schmuck it's very hard to care about him.
MacDowell who showed considerable strength in those aforementioned later rom-coms seems to be doing a poor-woman's Mary Steenburgen performance here and the reality is both leads are selfish and as unlikeable as they come.
Sadly MacDowell does not have the chemistry here that she did later on with the likes of Bill Murray and Hugh Grant.
Another problem is it is never clearly explained how these two people met. Weir cuts straight to the chase and the basic premise is established very early on.
Why couldn't we have had more time to know these characters and how they met one another?
Four Weddings and a Funeral worked because we got to see MacDowell and Hugh Grant meet and develop so they eventually became a credible romantic couple. Here there is none of that which is a huge weakness of the film.
Also the movie sets up all these lies about their fake marriage by staying entirely in New York City.
Why not take these people on some trips around America and have Depradiu act a bit more like a fish out of water?
A fresh spin on the Crocodile Dundee formula could have made this a much better and more original film.
Babe Neuwrith who was working on Cheers at the time as Frasier Crane's wife gives an interesting supporting performance and has almost nothing to do.
More scenes with her character would have made this a stronger effort.
And then everything else just becomes as cliched and predictable as you would expect and yet the director and MacDowell have made much more original and better films.
And why wasnt this funnier? It seems as though this was played far more serious than for laughs and while Weir is a better dramatic than comedic director its just frustrating with the notion this is a rom-com and there is almost no laughs.
Towards the end I found myself just not caring anymore about how things were going to end or be resolved.
Not the worst movie I have ever seen and the talent involved has done much worse but I had hope for something a lot more fresh and funny and I was let down.
Not a bad film, just a very disappointing one and with the talent and premise this should have been a bulls eye but it sadly misses by a long shot.
Watch Four Weddings and a Funeral for a much better rom-com and even Groundhog Day. Those at least were a lot funnier and a lot more original than this contrived piece of fluff.
Remembering my fondness from the aforementioned three good films as well as my fondness for Andie MacDowell in later rom-coms Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral, as well as a premise that sounded funny I went into this with high expectations.
While this certainly isnt as bad as Weir's aforementioned films I disliked and MacDowell has done much worse like Michael with John Travolta, nonetheless this was a disappointing film and the reason for it is its script is totally contrived and unfortunately just not very funny.
I only counted one sincere laugh in the film.
Gerard Depraidu gives a decent enough performance but his character is such an arrogant, selfish schmuck it's very hard to care about him.
MacDowell who showed considerable strength in those aforementioned later rom-coms seems to be doing a poor-woman's Mary Steenburgen performance here and the reality is both leads are selfish and as unlikeable as they come.
Sadly MacDowell does not have the chemistry here that she did later on with the likes of Bill Murray and Hugh Grant.
Another problem is it is never clearly explained how these two people met. Weir cuts straight to the chase and the basic premise is established very early on.
Why couldn't we have had more time to know these characters and how they met one another?
Four Weddings and a Funeral worked because we got to see MacDowell and Hugh Grant meet and develop so they eventually became a credible romantic couple. Here there is none of that which is a huge weakness of the film.
Also the movie sets up all these lies about their fake marriage by staying entirely in New York City.
Why not take these people on some trips around America and have Depradiu act a bit more like a fish out of water?
A fresh spin on the Crocodile Dundee formula could have made this a much better and more original film.
Babe Neuwrith who was working on Cheers at the time as Frasier Crane's wife gives an interesting supporting performance and has almost nothing to do.
More scenes with her character would have made this a stronger effort.
And then everything else just becomes as cliched and predictable as you would expect and yet the director and MacDowell have made much more original and better films.
And why wasnt this funnier? It seems as though this was played far more serious than for laughs and while Weir is a better dramatic than comedic director its just frustrating with the notion this is a rom-com and there is almost no laughs.
Towards the end I found myself just not caring anymore about how things were going to end or be resolved.
Not the worst movie I have ever seen and the talent involved has done much worse but I had hope for something a lot more fresh and funny and I was let down.
Not a bad film, just a very disappointing one and with the talent and premise this should have been a bulls eye but it sadly misses by a long shot.
Watch Four Weddings and a Funeral for a much better rom-com and even Groundhog Day. Those at least were a lot funnier and a lot more original than this contrived piece of fluff.
DVD please?
the_worlok25 November 2002
This movie is strangely addictive. Gérard Depardieu displays a very noble and charming character who is at the same time a simple and gruff man. He doesn't do the pretentiousness that is so common today. He is unsophisticated yet not uncomplicated. Andie MacDowell plays her part wonderfully. You just want to smack her silly at times, which proves that McDowell is a great actress. She is also one of Hollywood's "Classic" beauties. She is a pleasure to watch not only for her first rate acting but also because she is such a handsome woman.
My wife hooked me on this movie. I am a typical American man, who is usuually into action and SciFi movies. I usually run screaming from romantic movies. The fact that this is a Romantic COMEDY made it fun to watch. Depardieu plays the large "oafish" commoner to a "T". He is a very funny man indeed, as well as a first rate actor in his own right. He is not in enough movies, IMNSHO.
I wish the studio that owns this would release it on DVD in the US.
My wife hooked me on this movie. I am a typical American man, who is usuually into action and SciFi movies. I usually run screaming from romantic movies. The fact that this is a Romantic COMEDY made it fun to watch. Depardieu plays the large "oafish" commoner to a "T". He is a very funny man indeed, as well as a first rate actor in his own right. He is not in enough movies, IMNSHO.
I wish the studio that owns this would release it on DVD in the US.
7 Stars....for the Apartment
LilyDaleLady22 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this in the theatre in 1990, and a few times on TV, but last night I caught it again on late night TV for the first time in years. 25 years, but I had the same reaction to it, LOL.
This is a perfectly terrible, unfunny movie with a script that would be lame on a 30 minute sitcom. It was made solely as a vehicle to introduce Gerard Depardieu to American audiences, and as such was a failure. It also showcased the lovely Andy McDowell, but rather unfairly -- she's either pregnant or post-pregnant here, and although radiantly beautiful, she is hulking around in huge, baggy jumpers and tops. Considering Depardieu is a heavy set man, the combination isn't romantic at all. It's like a "before" ad for Weight Watchers.
I'm not saying a comedy about two heavy set people can't be done -- of course, it could be and delightful, with lots of avenues for humor. But that's not how this framed AT ALL. Their weights are not alluded to, except briefly when George (Depardieu) wrongly guesses Brontë's weight as 140 lbs (she says "125 lbs"...well, maybe when not preggers).
I think this pretty much restricted the script to "no nude scenes".
And oy, the plot: unrealistic and leaden. Not only does immigration law in the US work NOTHING like this (is it possible the all-Aussie crew had no idea?), we are talking about a pretty serious crime. It's not "cute" to defraud the INS. George has no reason to do all this. He could have applied for a work visa, and waited it out. Also, come on -- he's what? 45 or older? What has he been doing all this time? Frankly, though the script was apparently WRITTEN for him, Depardieu is entirely WRONG for it -- and unfunny -- every scene is just painful. George needs to be an eager YOUNG guy, maybe 25 or 30 with some real goal -- something he would NEED to be in America to accomplish.
OK, so why 7 stars? Honestly, I remember this movie well for one reason -- it is shot in the loveliest, most charming apartment I have ever seen. It is truly the apartment of my dreams. I've never forgotten it, and 25 years after, I could have described it down to the last detail. I suspect it is only a movie set, but OMG, what a set. (The building itself is real.) Never mind it would have cost a fortune, even in 1989, and never mind it is probably a CO OP (meaning you buy in, and not rent it, and we are talking MILLIONS of dollars). I don't care. It's a dream and a wonderful one -- oh that greenhouse...the koi pond...the fountain.
This was the beginning of the shabby chic style, and it was never showcased better than here. Kudos to the set designer. I want to live here. I just don't want to live with fat annoying George, or dull matronly Brontë.
Consider watching this with the sound turned off.
This is a perfectly terrible, unfunny movie with a script that would be lame on a 30 minute sitcom. It was made solely as a vehicle to introduce Gerard Depardieu to American audiences, and as such was a failure. It also showcased the lovely Andy McDowell, but rather unfairly -- she's either pregnant or post-pregnant here, and although radiantly beautiful, she is hulking around in huge, baggy jumpers and tops. Considering Depardieu is a heavy set man, the combination isn't romantic at all. It's like a "before" ad for Weight Watchers.
I'm not saying a comedy about two heavy set people can't be done -- of course, it could be and delightful, with lots of avenues for humor. But that's not how this framed AT ALL. Their weights are not alluded to, except briefly when George (Depardieu) wrongly guesses Brontë's weight as 140 lbs (she says "125 lbs"...well, maybe when not preggers).
I think this pretty much restricted the script to "no nude scenes".
And oy, the plot: unrealistic and leaden. Not only does immigration law in the US work NOTHING like this (is it possible the all-Aussie crew had no idea?), we are talking about a pretty serious crime. It's not "cute" to defraud the INS. George has no reason to do all this. He could have applied for a work visa, and waited it out. Also, come on -- he's what? 45 or older? What has he been doing all this time? Frankly, though the script was apparently WRITTEN for him, Depardieu is entirely WRONG for it -- and unfunny -- every scene is just painful. George needs to be an eager YOUNG guy, maybe 25 or 30 with some real goal -- something he would NEED to be in America to accomplish.
OK, so why 7 stars? Honestly, I remember this movie well for one reason -- it is shot in the loveliest, most charming apartment I have ever seen. It is truly the apartment of my dreams. I've never forgotten it, and 25 years after, I could have described it down to the last detail. I suspect it is only a movie set, but OMG, what a set. (The building itself is real.) Never mind it would have cost a fortune, even in 1989, and never mind it is probably a CO OP (meaning you buy in, and not rent it, and we are talking MILLIONS of dollars). I don't care. It's a dream and a wonderful one -- oh that greenhouse...the koi pond...the fountain.
This was the beginning of the shabby chic style, and it was never showcased better than here. Kudos to the set designer. I want to live here. I just don't want to live with fat annoying George, or dull matronly Brontë.
Consider watching this with the sound turned off.
no comedy, some romance
SnoopyStyle26 December 2015
Bronte Parrish (Andie MacDowell) is marrying George Faure (Gérard Depardieu) in a marriage of convenience set up by Anton. They never met before and hope never to see again. She's a horticulturist in a New York gardening group working with inner city locals to build gardens. She's desperate for the perfect apartment with its own greenhouse but the board is only willing to rent to a married couple. She tells them that her husband is researching drumming in Africa. She's dating her coworker Phil. George is a music composer and needs the Green Card marriage to stay. Immigration officers Gorsky and Sheehan come to investigate. George and Bronte need to get their act together. They run into her old friend Lauren Adler (Bebe Neuwirth) whose parents are selling their place and possibly donating their rare plants.
Writer/director Peter Weir doesn't really do rom-coms. The comedy is rather light and neither leads are big comedians. It takes a long time before the romance takes off. He's got a volcanic anger bubbling under the surface and she's an odd-bird obsessed about plants. The story needs to force them together earlier in the movie. There is a fine romance for these two clashing personalities. She's ice and he's fire. Together, they turn into quite a stormy romance.
Writer/director Peter Weir doesn't really do rom-coms. The comedy is rather light and neither leads are big comedians. It takes a long time before the romance takes off. He's got a volcanic anger bubbling under the surface and she's an odd-bird obsessed about plants. The story needs to force them together earlier in the movie. There is a fine romance for these two clashing personalities. She's ice and he's fire. Together, they turn into quite a stormy romance.
Reasons to watch Green Card (or not)
acctreg12 May 2013
PROS:
For me, Andie McDowell is one of the most desirable women to ever appear on the big screen. I'd watch it just for her.
The acting performance of Gérard Depardieu. He was purportedly France's best actor at the time, appearing in his first English speaking lead role. I wasn't disappointed.
CONS:
The ending was typical 'romantic comedy chick flick' but difficult to 'buy' given McDowell's attitude toward him up until that point.
The whole premise behind why McDowell wanted to marry him in the first place is far-fetched.
Favorite scenes:
1. Depardieu being courted by some single ladies over dinner, followed by an emotional appeal at the piano.
2. The couple sharing old photos on the couch, followed by the most dramatic and suspenseful scene in the movie.
3. McDowell's entry back into the greenhouse, alone, and her abrupt focus on some tomato plants.
4. Their separate interviews before the immigration officials. Emotional opinions of each other begin to flow from both their mouths as the editing brilliantly switches back and forth between the two.
Enjoy!
For me, Andie McDowell is one of the most desirable women to ever appear on the big screen. I'd watch it just for her.
The acting performance of Gérard Depardieu. He was purportedly France's best actor at the time, appearing in his first English speaking lead role. I wasn't disappointed.
CONS:
The ending was typical 'romantic comedy chick flick' but difficult to 'buy' given McDowell's attitude toward him up until that point.
The whole premise behind why McDowell wanted to marry him in the first place is far-fetched.
Favorite scenes:
1. Depardieu being courted by some single ladies over dinner, followed by an emotional appeal at the piano.
2. The couple sharing old photos on the couch, followed by the most dramatic and suspenseful scene in the movie.
3. McDowell's entry back into the greenhouse, alone, and her abrupt focus on some tomato plants.
4. Their separate interviews before the immigration officials. Emotional opinions of each other begin to flow from both their mouths as the editing brilliantly switches back and forth between the two.
Enjoy!
Red Flag
questl-1859230 September 2020
There are a few things a RomCom needs to be successful. Likable characters, chemistry between the leads, comedy. It would have been nice if Green Card had any of that. Depardieu and MacDowell may as well be two hunts of soggy cardboard flung together in this. Neither seems like they care, there's never that spark or desire for them to get together, they're not funny and their whole thing is just uncomfortable to watch. Beyond the RomCom things though, this just isn't a good movie. It's not funny, it's chauvinistic, the ending seems so incredibly forced. There's nothing that works here.
There is zero reason to watch this and I couldn't possibly recommend it to anyone. The lack of chemistry really is shockingly bad and that is a death sentence to a movie like this, especially when it doesn't have anything else going for it.
There is zero reason to watch this and I couldn't possibly recommend it to anyone. The lack of chemistry really is shockingly bad and that is a death sentence to a movie like this, especially when it doesn't have anything else going for it.
Green Light for Viewing (DVD)
leplatypus20 December 2005
A movie isn't never as much great as it can speak personally. This movie does it for me and I'm lucky. This review is thus very subjective but it comes from the heart....
First, it is a rare movie in which I feel my favorite town, New York as my neighborhood. The town really appears as an endless collection of big cubic buildings, but under the soft menace of the green invasion (trees, garden,...). All the roof scenes are memorable...
Then, McDowell plays an almost introvert woman in contrast to the French extraversion of Depardieu. Sure, being French, I support our national icon, who is particularly in his turf here, but I was more over captivated by the development of the Bronte character and her feelings. From her initial motivation, then indifference to exasperation and finally complicity & deep devotion, it was a remarkable evolution to behold and understand.
Finally, there's also a lot of subtext & subtlety here and it's great for the brain: I mean some things talks to our unconscious and the connection isn't immediate. For example, think how Africa is the main background: the emigration subject, the Afrika bar, the drums, the safari life ... There's also the sweet translation from Green Card to Green House, and the role of ecology... Like I already said, the green tries to grow in every free space left from the rock buildings, which is a poetic metaphor for the emigration...
So, a great romantic story in a wonderful setting & which leaves many doors to open...
First, it is a rare movie in which I feel my favorite town, New York as my neighborhood. The town really appears as an endless collection of big cubic buildings, but under the soft menace of the green invasion (trees, garden,...). All the roof scenes are memorable...
Then, McDowell plays an almost introvert woman in contrast to the French extraversion of Depardieu. Sure, being French, I support our national icon, who is particularly in his turf here, but I was more over captivated by the development of the Bronte character and her feelings. From her initial motivation, then indifference to exasperation and finally complicity & deep devotion, it was a remarkable evolution to behold and understand.
Finally, there's also a lot of subtext & subtlety here and it's great for the brain: I mean some things talks to our unconscious and the connection isn't immediate. For example, think how Africa is the main background: the emigration subject, the Afrika bar, the drums, the safari life ... There's also the sweet translation from Green Card to Green House, and the role of ecology... Like I already said, the green tries to grow in every free space left from the rock buildings, which is a poetic metaphor for the emigration...
So, a great romantic story in a wonderful setting & which leaves many doors to open...
It's nice.
davidmvining18 August 2023
Following up Peter Weir's most overrated film with his most underrated one, Green Card is a nice, gentle, sweet, and ultimately touching little romantic comedy. It's not top tier Weir, but it is a sweet little film about love which ends up contrasting interestingly with Weir's earlier films filled with passion like The Year of Living Dangerously. I never got the sense that Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver's characters would last long in a relationship at the end of that film, but I feel quite differently about the main characters in Green Card.
Bronte Parrish (Andie MacDowell) starts the film by committing immigration fraud, agreeing to marry Georges Faure (Gerard Depardieu), shake hands, and then never meet again. Her being married will help her with the deciding committee at an apartment complex where they have a flat available with a solarium, and he gets American residency. They don't need each other beyond the filling out of the piece of paper for that, and it helps Bronte make the decision since she's told that Georges is a composer. Complications arise, of course. She discovers that Georges might be a composer, but he's making his living as a waiter when he waits at her table with her friends. She needs his presence to help prove her marriage to the complex people so that she can keep her solarium, plants being her work and her life, along with her boyfriend Phil (Gregg Edelman) who has no idea that Bronte has gone through with the scheme.
So, we get our meet cute where Georges and Bronte have to move in together to prove their marriage real to both Bronte's neighbors but also the pair of immigration officers who come to interview them. They must make like they know each other, like they love each other, and that's the setup for two very different people with two very different ways of life and ways of looking at life to fall in love.
I think Weir has a very strong sense of the difference between passion and love, and I find it interesting that Bronte and Georges almost never even touch in their few days together. Instead, they just talk about who they are, where they came from, and what they want. Their relationship becomes incredibly intimate as they have to reveal who they really are to each other, and this bond is much more than heightened passions at an emotional moment. This is something that could be more. They see the tenderness in each other and begin to feel it themselves.
This all gets accentuated by small scenes with Bronte's friends and family. Chiefly, her best friend Lauren (Bebe Neuwirth) who brings Georges along to a high society dinner that Bronte is attending in an effort to secure funding for her charitable organization dedicated to greening up New York. It's the scene where Bronte first discovers that Georges is more than just a boorish Frenchman crashing on her couch since he has both a brash sense of humor and can also play the piano quite well while obviously having listened to her describe her motivations and desires from her charitable work. There's also the visit from her parents (Lois Smith and Conrad McLaren) where her father, a writer hence her name, quickly figures out the situation on a general level. It's not that he figures out that she's committed immigration fraud and is covering it up, but it's that she's falling in love with this man and is trying to hide it while he's falling for her at the same time.
The situation escalates to their immigration interviews where they are taken into separate rooms and interviewed concurrently. Georges, though, feeling the pressure and getting a minor question wrong (would immigration have figured it all out if he got her face cream wrong? I've been married to my wife for more than a decade, and I couldn't tell you her brand of face cream), but the important thing is that Georges feels like he can't go on anymore with the lie, and he gives himself up.
As I've gotten deeper into Weir's body of work, I've dug out an underlying theme that pops up again and again, and Green Card ends up fitting it quite nicely: human connection in the face of a larger, uncaring systems. That the human connection here is an intimate romance without resorting to the torridness of passion is interesting, giving us this nice little look at two people, somewhat isolated from everyone around them, finding each other in an unusual way.
Is this top-tier work from Weir? Not really. It feels more like a ditty like The Plumber, but in a very different genre. I don't know where Weir was mentally when he cooked up this story. It doesn't feel like the sort of thing that would impassion him to work through all the pre-production issues, including large delays for a variety of reasons, delays that led to him taking on Dead Poets Society to fill in the gap in his schedule, but it did, especially since he not only directed but also wrote and produced the film. Still, it's a nice little and sedate romantic comedy, anchored by a pair of winning performances and Weir's solid direction once more.
Bronte Parrish (Andie MacDowell) starts the film by committing immigration fraud, agreeing to marry Georges Faure (Gerard Depardieu), shake hands, and then never meet again. Her being married will help her with the deciding committee at an apartment complex where they have a flat available with a solarium, and he gets American residency. They don't need each other beyond the filling out of the piece of paper for that, and it helps Bronte make the decision since she's told that Georges is a composer. Complications arise, of course. She discovers that Georges might be a composer, but he's making his living as a waiter when he waits at her table with her friends. She needs his presence to help prove her marriage to the complex people so that she can keep her solarium, plants being her work and her life, along with her boyfriend Phil (Gregg Edelman) who has no idea that Bronte has gone through with the scheme.
So, we get our meet cute where Georges and Bronte have to move in together to prove their marriage real to both Bronte's neighbors but also the pair of immigration officers who come to interview them. They must make like they know each other, like they love each other, and that's the setup for two very different people with two very different ways of life and ways of looking at life to fall in love.
I think Weir has a very strong sense of the difference between passion and love, and I find it interesting that Bronte and Georges almost never even touch in their few days together. Instead, they just talk about who they are, where they came from, and what they want. Their relationship becomes incredibly intimate as they have to reveal who they really are to each other, and this bond is much more than heightened passions at an emotional moment. This is something that could be more. They see the tenderness in each other and begin to feel it themselves.
This all gets accentuated by small scenes with Bronte's friends and family. Chiefly, her best friend Lauren (Bebe Neuwirth) who brings Georges along to a high society dinner that Bronte is attending in an effort to secure funding for her charitable organization dedicated to greening up New York. It's the scene where Bronte first discovers that Georges is more than just a boorish Frenchman crashing on her couch since he has both a brash sense of humor and can also play the piano quite well while obviously having listened to her describe her motivations and desires from her charitable work. There's also the visit from her parents (Lois Smith and Conrad McLaren) where her father, a writer hence her name, quickly figures out the situation on a general level. It's not that he figures out that she's committed immigration fraud and is covering it up, but it's that she's falling in love with this man and is trying to hide it while he's falling for her at the same time.
The situation escalates to their immigration interviews where they are taken into separate rooms and interviewed concurrently. Georges, though, feeling the pressure and getting a minor question wrong (would immigration have figured it all out if he got her face cream wrong? I've been married to my wife for more than a decade, and I couldn't tell you her brand of face cream), but the important thing is that Georges feels like he can't go on anymore with the lie, and he gives himself up.
As I've gotten deeper into Weir's body of work, I've dug out an underlying theme that pops up again and again, and Green Card ends up fitting it quite nicely: human connection in the face of a larger, uncaring systems. That the human connection here is an intimate romance without resorting to the torridness of passion is interesting, giving us this nice little look at two people, somewhat isolated from everyone around them, finding each other in an unusual way.
Is this top-tier work from Weir? Not really. It feels more like a ditty like The Plumber, but in a very different genre. I don't know where Weir was mentally when he cooked up this story. It doesn't feel like the sort of thing that would impassion him to work through all the pre-production issues, including large delays for a variety of reasons, delays that led to him taking on Dead Poets Society to fill in the gap in his schedule, but it did, especially since he not only directed but also wrote and produced the film. Still, it's a nice little and sedate romantic comedy, anchored by a pair of winning performances and Weir's solid direction once more.
Green Card
jboothmillard28 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I may have tried this film and got bored in a few minutes, but I gave it another chance, from producer, writer and director Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show). Basically Georges Faure (Golden Globe winning Gérard Depardieu, in his English debut) is the Frenchman who wants to keep a job in America by gaining his Green Card, and Brontë Parrish (Golden Globe nominated Andie MacDowell) is the American who wants to stay in her flat with its own greenhouse, which is actually for a married couple. They marry each other in order to get and keep what they want, and they have convince many people they are married for love, including immigration officers. So they move in with each other, even though they don't get on very well, and they are trying just a little too hard to keep their story straight with all the complications being presented. As time goes on though, they may actually be starting to like each other, like a real married couple, but in the end they are discovered, Georges is deported, and as Brontë realises her love for him, she promises to get to France to continue their marriage. Also starring Jumanji's Bebe Neuwirth as Lauren Adler, Gregg Edelman as Phil, Mrs. Doubtfire's Robert Prosky as Brontë's Lawyer, Jessie Keosian as Mrs. Bird, Ethan Phillips as Gorsky, Mary Louise Wilson as Mrs. Sheehan, Lois Smith as Brontë's Mother and Conrad McLaren as Brontë's Father. It is a pretty improbable story with not too much original comedy and a slightly odd romance development, but Depardieu and MacDowell are likable characters. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Weir, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. Worth watching!
Forgotten gem from the early nineties. Terrific chemistry between Andie McDowell and Gerard Depardieu. Lovely and funny.
imseeg30 May 2020
Gerard Depardieu earned a golden Globe for his performance, but that is besides the point, because this French actor has played much better parts for which he never got lauded. Anyway, this is one heck of a forgotten romantic comedy from the early nineties, that definitely deserves more attention, because it still stands strong to this very day.
It's a romantic comedy the way the French would make them, meaning that there is lots of subtle play and wit. The story: French citizen Gerard Depardieu needs an American working permit and tries to get it by getting into a fake marriage with the lovely American Andy McDowell.
The good: it's simply splendidly acted and directed. With lots of energy and flair. Any bad? There is a bit of a dull middle part of the story in which nothing much happens, but the end is wonderfully enticing again. Gives me goosebumps and I am usually not someone who is easily charmed by romcoms. Highly recommended!
It's a romantic comedy the way the French would make them, meaning that there is lots of subtle play and wit. The story: French citizen Gerard Depardieu needs an American working permit and tries to get it by getting into a fake marriage with the lovely American Andy McDowell.
The good: it's simply splendidly acted and directed. With lots of energy and flair. Any bad? There is a bit of a dull middle part of the story in which nothing much happens, but the end is wonderfully enticing again. Gives me goosebumps and I am usually not someone who is easily charmed by romcoms. Highly recommended!
Great movie - but abrupt unbelievable ending
lor-8102912 August 2022
The whole movie was progressing really beautifully; well-crafted, good acting. It was on course for a 7.5 - 8 / 10 rating. But then there is a complete 180 inexplicable change in the final moments of the movie that came out of no-where, following by a very rushed, abrupt ending. I would have liked to have seen a more believable, gradual ending and would have liked to have seen more loose ends resolved.
irritating
cherold11 May 2021
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
