The Fabulous Baker Boys (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Fabulous Baker Boys' (written & directed by 1st-timer Steve Kloves) stars real-life siblings Beau & Jeff Bridges as the Bakers; musical prodigies who've long had a twin-piano act in Seattle. Show business is their life. But it's a shady business. Their career is dwindling. They barely make a living. And neither knows how long they'll be asked for gigs. In fact, most of those gigs are in dark, shadowy, dingy cocktail lounges. Night after night, the brothers skulk around the city streets, find the bar they're booked for, sit at their pianos, & do their much-rehearsed 'act'.
Their drunk audiences barely realize that there's live music going on. And their employers even realize that this act appears dated. Jack (Jeff Bridges) - far more talented than older brother, Frank (Beau) - is feeling particularly anxious about leaving the act altogether; and knows that his talent has been stifled all these years. Deciding to add a singer to their act (to boost their waning popularity), they conduct a long series of auditions, during which they meet a host of untalented or unlikeable women (including a very funny Jennifer Tilly). And then the gorgeous Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) walks in. Rough around the edges, but containing an ineffable 'something', the brothers are more than intrigued.
No, she doesn't have the 'best' voice, but there's something in it that's as alluring as her physical beauty. Susie has been a hooker in recent times. She can talk like a truck driver. But she has a good heart. And beneath her 'I don't care' exterior is a woman with sensitive feelings. With her on their team, the brothers start to feel less hopeless, and more energized about their music. And yet ... this opens old wounds, as well. Susie's popularity threatens Frank. And not only is Frank (who handles the business side of matters) the inferior piano player, but he now sees his younger, more talented brother closing in on a love affair with Susie. Jealousy. Furthermore, after things go foul btwn. Jack & Susie, Jack wants 'out' of the act again.
'The Fabulous Baker Boys' is not the most original drama that you'll ever see. You've seen it before: longtime partners (in this case, siblings) in show business juggle jealousies as a woman steps in & drives a wedge between them. And the pacing of the film is quite languorous; almost to a fault. But for what the movie IS, its execution is superb. I like the way the script balances the 3 main characters. Each gets their due in this story. The dialogue is great, too. These characters are sad musicians. And the conversations/lingo (however clipped, hushed, or lengthy) felt incredibly naturalistic to their type(s) of character/milieu.
Jeff Bridges gives a wonderfully weary, lived-in performance. But Pfeiffer steals the show as the call girl-turned-singer. I just completely bought her Susie Diamond - with all the raging emotions inside of her. The cinematography is incredibly moody; loved the color palette in this film, & what the camera does to the locales/characters. The editing & sound design of the musical sequences are astute. The bluesy original musical score is great; and should be Oscar nominated, at the very least. Most importantly, we grow to care about these flawed characters. I felt for the strained relationship btwn. both brothers. It gets very dicey for them near the end. And the fragile goings-on btwn. Jack & Susie are heart rendering to watch, as well. You just want the best for these folks.
You know, this film's most memorable scene involves Pfeiffer wearing a slinky red dress, singing 'Makin' Whoopee' atop a piano while the Jack character plays. The scene is impeccable filmed. It's hot. It's sexy. It's sensual. But although this scene is a showstopper, the rest of the film ain't so bad, itself.
Their drunk audiences barely realize that there's live music going on. And their employers even realize that this act appears dated. Jack (Jeff Bridges) - far more talented than older brother, Frank (Beau) - is feeling particularly anxious about leaving the act altogether; and knows that his talent has been stifled all these years. Deciding to add a singer to their act (to boost their waning popularity), they conduct a long series of auditions, during which they meet a host of untalented or unlikeable women (including a very funny Jennifer Tilly). And then the gorgeous Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) walks in. Rough around the edges, but containing an ineffable 'something', the brothers are more than intrigued.
No, she doesn't have the 'best' voice, but there's something in it that's as alluring as her physical beauty. Susie has been a hooker in recent times. She can talk like a truck driver. But she has a good heart. And beneath her 'I don't care' exterior is a woman with sensitive feelings. With her on their team, the brothers start to feel less hopeless, and more energized about their music. And yet ... this opens old wounds, as well. Susie's popularity threatens Frank. And not only is Frank (who handles the business side of matters) the inferior piano player, but he now sees his younger, more talented brother closing in on a love affair with Susie. Jealousy. Furthermore, after things go foul btwn. Jack & Susie, Jack wants 'out' of the act again.
'The Fabulous Baker Boys' is not the most original drama that you'll ever see. You've seen it before: longtime partners (in this case, siblings) in show business juggle jealousies as a woman steps in & drives a wedge between them. And the pacing of the film is quite languorous; almost to a fault. But for what the movie IS, its execution is superb. I like the way the script balances the 3 main characters. Each gets their due in this story. The dialogue is great, too. These characters are sad musicians. And the conversations/lingo (however clipped, hushed, or lengthy) felt incredibly naturalistic to their type(s) of character/milieu.
Jeff Bridges gives a wonderfully weary, lived-in performance. But Pfeiffer steals the show as the call girl-turned-singer. I just completely bought her Susie Diamond - with all the raging emotions inside of her. The cinematography is incredibly moody; loved the color palette in this film, & what the camera does to the locales/characters. The editing & sound design of the musical sequences are astute. The bluesy original musical score is great; and should be Oscar nominated, at the very least. Most importantly, we grow to care about these flawed characters. I felt for the strained relationship btwn. both brothers. It gets very dicey for them near the end. And the fragile goings-on btwn. Jack & Susie are heart rendering to watch, as well. You just want the best for these folks.
You know, this film's most memorable scene involves Pfeiffer wearing a slinky red dress, singing 'Makin' Whoopee' atop a piano while the Jack character plays. The scene is impeccable filmed. It's hot. It's sexy. It's sensual. But although this scene is a showstopper, the rest of the film ain't so bad, itself.