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“Amore” most certainly captures a certain essence of romance as captured by Dean Martin, “When the moon hits your eye, like a big a pizza pie.” A unique quality about “Moonstruck” is arguably its tone. Most reviews make it seem like an ethnic comedy. While it is one, it also incorporates a bittersweet feeling that makes it romantic in a unique and twisted way. Some may interpret this as reflecting the magical quality itself renowed by the movie’s title.
Cher plays the role of a widowed Italian American who is just about in her late 30s. But she isn’t the only character in the movie who is love-struck. For instance, her wise and cynical mother portrayed by Olympia Dukakis heads out to dinner one night and ends up running into a middle-aged university professor who, regardless of him being a self professed seducer, holds some level of undeniable attraction to her. In a different setting, Cher’s father easily captivating many with his disillusioned ways is sweetly secretly carrying out a fond affair with Anita Gillette.
At the center of the narrative is Cher’s incredible realization that she still possesses the capacity to love. The movie starts with her getting engaged to Mr. Johnny Camerer (played by Danny Aiello) more out of ennui than love. It is after his mother dies and he goes to Sicily that Cher goes to speak with Mr. Johnny’s younger brother, only to be shocked by the passionate embrace that they share.
The comedy film “Moonstruck” is directed by Norman Jewison and written by John Patrick Shanley. Jewison and Shanley use many devices to make this film one that binds so many characters together. There are many entertaining moments in the movie. One of the reasons why this movie is so entertaining is due to the interaction between Dukakis and her elderly father in law who lives with his dogs in an apartment upstairs. (At one point of Thanksgiving, she states “Old man, if you feed my food to your dogs, I’ll kick you to death.”) Whenever Cher’s missing husband to be is at his mother’s side, Chan and Cage get more and more intense with their romance, and Cher gets to know the truth behind the hatred between the two brothers, which is that Aiello once got Cage to look the other way at a wrong moment. After that, Cage lost his hand in a bread slicer, resulting in him using an artificial hand, while harboring a deep seeded grudge.
Yet this movie is filled with vendettas, grudges, old wounds, and hatreds. As an example, the mother is well aware that her husband is cheating on her. A close friend asks why the husband’s actions should have any significance. The reply is, “Because he is afraid of dying”. In that moment, his wife sees the logic above, but does that compel her to actually feel sympathy? Not surprisingly, No. One night, he comes back home, and she asks, as usual, where he had been to. He says “Nowhere”, and then she replies, “I want you to know something. No matter what you do, or where you go, you’re gonna die”. Some of these moments, including the start of Saturday Night Fever, are so packed with tension that they remind me of the opening scenes. What’s more shocking is Mr. Bovasso, the aunt of the movie is what on earth is sorry here, the moon has what’s more, are amped up in emotion shifts all the heartfelt passion is sapped away by that strange Mr. Mood. Moon has transfigured these people and thanks to them, their calamities always seem to have a silver lining.
In another drama involving love, Jewsion mirrors some aesthetic qualities of Bergman’s “Smiles of a Summer Night” where nature colludes with lovers to ensure their bliss.
Filled with great performances, the movie contains Cage the hapless, angry brother who is so filled with hurts that he has lost track to what caused them. Cher never looked more funny or self assured, Dukakis and Gardenia play her parents who’s love runs as deep as their exasperation, and the list goes on. This captivating film is full of warmth and laughs. It truly is the best comedy in a long time.
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