|
 "Awful
in 'New York'" by Scott Mantz
"Autumn in New York"
Richard Gere, Winona Ryder
Directed by Joan Chen
Whenever a Hollywood
studio chooses not to screen a movie in advance for the press, it
usually means it has a dog on its hands. That may be par-for-the-course
for some of the more mindless kiddie fodder that comes around during
the summer months, but when the movie in question features big name
talent like Richard Gere and Winona Ryder, the decision not to screen
the film is one helluva red flag. MGM denied that it had poor expectations
for "Autumn in New York," but it was instead more concerned that
the press would give away the film's so-called surprise ending (this
being the very same press that miraculously kept a lid on last year's
best kept secret "The Sixth Sense").
Now that the
film has finally opened, all I can say is "woof!" MGM may indeed
have a dog on its hands, but at least it's more like a Chihuahua
instead of a Great Dane. The movie fails in its attempt to be an
emotional heart-tugger, but what's worse is seeing good actors try
in earnest to deliver good performances with bad dialogue, making
the moviegoing experience that much more painful. Such is the case
with "Autumn in New York."
Will Keane (Richard
Gere) is a hotshot restaurateur whose appetite for good food is
supplanted by his appetite for beautiful women. Just when it appeared
he would never settle down, he meets Charlotte (Winona Ryder), a
hat designer who's less than half his age. Sparks fly, and faster
than you can say "jailbait," she's in bed with him. Will freaks
out about the prospect of a commitment, and he threatens to pull
the plug on their relationship. When Charlotte turns around and
tells him that she has a terminal illness, Will suddenly decides
he wants to take care of her. Will gets more than he bargained for
when, thanks to Charlotte, he discovers that he has a lot of growing
up to do if he is ever going to settle down with anybody.
"Autumn in New
York" tries hard--too hard in fact--to be a "Love Story" for the
Millennium, but it falls short on so many levels that it would need
a ladder to climb up a curb. Will has a reputation for being a womanizer,
but for some reason, he is suddenly compelled to take care of a
dying woman who is old enough to be his daughter. It's never quite
clear why he changes his mind about being involved with her, especially
after she breaks the news to him about her impending fate. A number
of subplots are introduced that could easily have given the film
some depth--Will meets his estranged daughter, Charlotte feels shut
out by her grandmother--but they are so underdeveloped that they
only serve to prolong the agony.
As far as casting
is concerned, Richard Gere and Winona Ryder have all the chemistry
of hot dogs and ice cream. They spend more time talking about the
relationship than actually enjoying it. Gere plays an extension
of his character from "Runaway Bride," but with shoddy dialogue
that prevents him from taking it any further. Wide-eyed Winona Ryder
continues her streak of poor choices (let's be honest--the only
good thing about "Girl, Interrupted" was Angelina Jolie), and she
tries hard--and fails miserably--to make her character engaging
and sympathetic. Not to mention the fact that for someone who's
dying, she sure looks pretty good.
Both actors
try to resuscitate the poorly written dialogue with performances
that are so far over-the-top that they are either painful to watch
or unintentionally funny. What's ironic is how the film plays along
like the terminally ill patient it features. The slow torture will
leave you praying that it will end soon, or at the very least, that
someone will come along and pull the plug . It's too bad that the
filmmakers didn't see that the story was a flatliner that couldn't
be brought back to life.
|
