Outrageous Fortune (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Outrageous Fortune' (directed by Arthur Hiller) stars Bette Midler & Shelley Long as 2 rival acting students who discover they're both having an affair with the same man. Midler plays Sandy, a brash, vulgar veteran of B-movies (such as 'Ninja Vixens', haha). And Long is Lauren, a refined Yale grad who has pretentious ideas about Art. She dances ballet & hopes to become a theater thespian, as well. To say that these women don't hit it off is a HUGE understatement. The man they're both sleeping with - unbeknownst to them - is Michael Sanders (Peter Coyote); a slick, mysterious man who seems too good to be true. And when Michael turns up as the victim of a bomb blast, both Sandy & Lauren show up to the morgue as his 'girlfriend'. Fun hysterics ensue.
Upon examination of the lower extremity of the burned body, the 2 of them find that it's definitely not Michael ("it's a f*ckin' pencil!"). When they try to find him to get an explanation for his faked death, they discover that their beloved Michael is not who they think he is; and an uneasy alliance is formed btwn. the 2 women. From here on out, S & L find out that their acclaimed drama teacher (Robert Prosky) is a spy; that Michael is spying on the drama teacher; that there are people who want to kill the 2 of them; and that it's up to the 2 of them to outrun the law all over New Mexico & endure all sorts of chaos until the mystery surrounding Michael is solved. Who's bad, who's good, & how will Sandy & Lauren handle it?
Outrageous Fortune' has a climax that is insane. The narrative requires that Lauren (Long) must leap from one skyscraper-like desert rock formation to another while she's chased by a host of bad guys. But let's talk about the 2 lead characters for a moment. In the beginning, they were like oil & water. But on the road (of their adventure), they soften to each other. Bette Midler is ABSOLUTELY hysterical (just as she was in Down & Out in Beverly Hills & Ruthless People). Her natural comedic personality goes a long way in making us laugh. But as written, Sandy is funny, anyway. And Midler's facial expressions/line deliveries are just gold. Shelley Long has her moments, as well. Her Lauren starts out demure & naive, but evolves into quite the powerhouse (thanks to Sandy & circumstance). And George Carlin is great as Frank, a burned-out, alcoholic hippie who encounters/helps Sandy & Lauren in New Mexico.
If the film fails anywhere, it's with the increasingly cliche-ridden screenplay. Russians, car chases, undercover CIA, weapons of mass destruction, etc. I prefer films (comedy, action, or otherwise) that focuses more on characterization and/or finding humor in human nature. But Hell, I still had a blast with this female buddy comedy/actioner. It's undemanding. And it's engaging. Some of my favorite one-liners include: "9 years of ballet, asshole!" Lauren shrieks that in a climactic moment. When Sandy & Lauren are impersonating cops, a criminal reaches for a gun & Lauren launches into "Don't even think about it! Don't even f*ckin' think about it. I'll blow your f*ckin' nuts off!" Midler delivers this line with relish: "Does the phrase Needled*ck the Bugf*cker mean anything to you?" 'Outrageous Fortune' works because of the comedy set pieces & the over-the-moon comedic performances.
Upon examination of the lower extremity of the burned body, the 2 of them find that it's definitely not Michael ("it's a f*ckin' pencil!"). When they try to find him to get an explanation for his faked death, they discover that their beloved Michael is not who they think he is; and an uneasy alliance is formed btwn. the 2 women. From here on out, S & L find out that their acclaimed drama teacher (Robert Prosky) is a spy; that Michael is spying on the drama teacher; that there are people who want to kill the 2 of them; and that it's up to the 2 of them to outrun the law all over New Mexico & endure all sorts of chaos until the mystery surrounding Michael is solved. Who's bad, who's good, & how will Sandy & Lauren handle it?
Outrageous Fortune' has a climax that is insane. The narrative requires that Lauren (Long) must leap from one skyscraper-like desert rock formation to another while she's chased by a host of bad guys. But let's talk about the 2 lead characters for a moment. In the beginning, they were like oil & water. But on the road (of their adventure), they soften to each other. Bette Midler is ABSOLUTELY hysterical (just as she was in Down & Out in Beverly Hills & Ruthless People). Her natural comedic personality goes a long way in making us laugh. But as written, Sandy is funny, anyway. And Midler's facial expressions/line deliveries are just gold. Shelley Long has her moments, as well. Her Lauren starts out demure & naive, but evolves into quite the powerhouse (thanks to Sandy & circumstance). And George Carlin is great as Frank, a burned-out, alcoholic hippie who encounters/helps Sandy & Lauren in New Mexico.
If the film fails anywhere, it's with the increasingly cliche-ridden screenplay. Russians, car chases, undercover CIA, weapons of mass destruction, etc. I prefer films (comedy, action, or otherwise) that focuses more on characterization and/or finding humor in human nature. But Hell, I still had a blast with this female buddy comedy/actioner. It's undemanding. And it's engaging. Some of my favorite one-liners include: "9 years of ballet, asshole!" Lauren shrieks that in a climactic moment. When Sandy & Lauren are impersonating cops, a criminal reaches for a gun & Lauren launches into "Don't even think about it! Don't even f*ckin' think about it. I'll blow your f*ckin' nuts off!" Midler delivers this line with relish: "Does the phrase Needled*ck the Bugf*cker mean anything to you?" 'Outrageous Fortune' works because of the comedy set pieces & the over-the-moon comedic performances.