[net.movies] Review of LADYHAWKE

moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (04/30/85)

When was the last time you saw a picture that *really* struck you as
romantic?  Casablanca?  Love Story (gag)?  Animal House?  For me, it
was probably Time After Time (it must have shown through; Malcom
McDowell married Mary Steenburgen after the movie finished), with the
hybrid addition of Against All Odds.  That is, to say, until
LadyHawke...

The whole idea of two lovers bound together by a curse which keeps
them together without ever seeing one another is a great romantic idea
(and an old one; as Gene Siskel says, "That's some curse!"), and it is
pumped to the hilt in LadyHawke.  The photography, the music (when it
isn't being jaunty modern adventure music, which seems out-of-place),
and the romantic leads carry the conception through to a very
beautiful culmination of unrequited true love.  Of course, this can
get dry for several hours, so they got Matthew Broderick to play the
wise guy, which he does, I think, very well (I disagree with those
critics who find him too "modern" -- he struck me as a medieval version
of a witty thief).  Rutgaer (sp?) Hauer once again proves he's one of
the best actors in Hollywood today (his work in Bladerunner, NightHawks
(he was the only good thing there), and Soldier of Orange (the Dutch
film where he got his start) are all very good).  And Michelle Pffiefer
fits the part of the beautiful lady perfectly (hey, if magic can turn
her into a bird, magic can keep her mascara from running).  And you've
got good Ol' Leo McKern bowing down to He Who Must Be Obeyed this time.

All of which works until the last half hour, where the thing comes to a
rather stodgy conclusion.  Pretty tame battle scene, with predictable
outcome and a cloying reunion between Hauer and Pffiefer.  Just when
Broderick's wisecracks would have been most appropriate, he has to go
so emotional that one rolls one's eyes towards heaven a bit.

Two questions:  Where were McKern and Broderick going at the end?  And
can anyone give me the exact line Broderick says before breaching the
castle, the gist of it being: "God, after all this is over, I hope
there's a higher meaning to all this.  It would make you look good." 
I'd appreciate the info very much.

                                                        "OHHLYMPIAA!  Olympia!"
                "Osiris!"
                                                        "My friend!"
                "What has happened to your nose?"

					Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
					John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
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 {cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsrgv}!uw-beaver \
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ARPA:
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matt@prism.UUCP (05/06/85)

/**** prism:net.movies / vax2!moriarty /  6:34 am  Apr 85, 19783 ****/

Two questions:  Where were McKern and Broderick going at the end?  And
can anyone give me the exact line Broderick says before breaching the
castle, the gist of it being: "God, after all this is over, I hope
there's a higher meaning to all this.  It would make you look good." 
I'd appreciate the info very much.

/* ---------- */

1.  It's never made clear where they are going, though Imperius (McKern)
    says "I fully expect to see you at the Pearly Gates one day," to which
    Philippe (Broderick) replies, "I'll be there, even if I have to pick the
    lock."

2.  He says something like "Well, we've come full circle, Lord.  I'd like to
    think there's some higher meaning to all this.  It would certainly
    reflect well on you."

showard@udenva.UUCP (showard) (05/07/85)

> 
> Two questions:  Where were McKern and Broderick going at the end?  And
> can anyone give me the exact line Broderick says before breaching the
> castle, the gist of it being: "God, after all this is over, I hope
> there's a higher meaning to all this.  It would make you look good." 
> I'd appreciate the info very much.
> 
> 					Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
> 					John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
> UUCP:
>  {cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsrgv}!uw-beaver \
>     {allegra,gatech!sb1,hplabs!lbl-csam,decwrl!sun,ssc-vax} -- !fluke!moriarty
> ARPA:
> 	fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
  I'm not sure on question one, but the line is (pretty much):  "Well, Lord, 
I've come full circle.  I'd like to think there was some higher meaning to
all this.  It would reflect well on you."

   I'm sure about three dozen people will respond to this, so I really
shouldn't bother, but what the hell?

  --Steve Howard, aka Mr. Blore, inhouse detective, KAOS Radio