|
"'Tango'
Trips Over its Own Six Feet"
by Scott Mantz
"Three to Tango"
Matthew Perry, Neve Campbell,
Dylan McDermott
Directed by Damon Santostefano
More and more
film stars are jumping from the big screen to the small screen.
While some of them simply like the steady pay, the fact is the boob
tube is producing some high-quality stuff these days. John Lithgow
turned his small screen job on "Third Rock from the Sun" into an
Emmy award-winning gig. Michael J. Fox jumped from TV to film and
then went back to TV again for "Spin City". Even Charlie Sheen is
shopping around for a TV series. OK, maybe that's not a great example.
The point is, the line between film and TV is getting more blurred
with each passing year.
Going from TV
to film is a lot tougher than vise-versa. Just ask Shelly Long and
David Caruso. They jumped ship for the big screen and were never
heard from again. Certain actors need the constant exposure of week-to-week
viewing on TV, as they just don't have enough clout to carry a film.
George Clooney left "ER" at just the right time and has made some
excellent choices with his film career ("Out of Sight", "Three Kings"),
but he still has yet to have a bona-fide commercial hit. Since Matthew
Perry, Neve Cambell, and Dylan McDermott are all having prosperous
careers with their hit TV shows, you'd think getting them together
in the same film would be a sure thing, right? Uh, wrong. Among
other things, the sometimes funny, but ultimately forgettable, "Three
to Tango" proves they shouldn't quit their day jobs.
Architect Oscar
Novak (Matthew Perry) has been hired by smarmy business tycoon Charles
Newman (Dylan McDermott) for a multi-million dollar job. When Charles
has doubts about Oscar's sexuality, he asks him to keep an eye on
his perky glass-wielding mistress Amy Post (Neve Campbell) so she
doesn't flirt with other guys. Oscar can't say "no", but then he
winds up falling in love with her (what a shock). Oscar finally
realizes that everyone, including Amy, suspects that he is gay,
but it's too late for him to come clean without losing his job and
hurting the woman he loves. You'd have to be a real moron not to
figure out how things turn out in this one.
What's the difference
between the dapper-dressing, wise-cracking, nice guy Matthew Perry
plays here and the dapper-dressing, wise-cracking, nice guy he plays
on "Friends"? Well, nothing really. It's not that you'd expect anything
different from him, and he does generate the best laughs in the
film. Neve Campbell tries to demonstrate her comedic chops, but
she constantly falls back into the mannerisms of her angst-ridden
character from "Party of Five". Dylan McDermot gives the film's
least inspired performance, as he doesn't seem to have a knack for
comedy. Perhaps he's waiting to hop back on the set of his critical
TV favorite "The Practice".
Some of the
characters take actions I just can't figure out. McDermott has a
very pretty wife, so what's he doing with Campbell? It's not that
she's not attractive, but what does he need her for? On the other
hand, what does she see in him? With her charming personality, can't
she hook up with one of her artist friends or at least someone more
her type?
While "Tango"
does provide some good laughs, it's derivative elements and "let's
wrap it up" ending feel way too contrived. Of course Perry and Campbell
are instantly attracted to each other. Of course they end up together.
Of course she almost instantly forgives him for lying to her. I
know it's nit-picky, but there's only so many things you can overlook.
Perry, Campbell, and McDermott probably did the Tango all the way
to the bank with lucrative paydays, but Campbell is probably counting
down the days until "Scream 3" hits the theaters in 2000.
|
