Sadly Over-hyped

Fantastic!

Absolutely amazing

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This film begins with a woman named "Frankie" (Michelle Pfeiffer) arriving on a bus to Altoona, Pennsylvania to be present as a godmother for her young niece. At that exact moment a man named "Johnny" (Al Pacino) is being released from prison there as well. Frankie then heads back to New York City on a bus to resume her job as a waitress in a small restaurant where--as luck would have it--Johnny ventures inside and applies for a job as a cook. Although Johnny becomes quite smitten with Frankie, she is hesitant to have anything to do with him even though she is just as lonely as he is. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film was rather slow at times but there was sufficient romance and a bit of humor here and there to keep things interesting. I especially liked the performance of Nathan Lane (as Frankie's good friend "Tim") who was responsible for almost all of the comedy. In any case, I found this to be an enjoyable movie for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

This is one of the lesser known and appreciated screen gems of the 90's. It's a superior romantic-comedy-drama which stars screen legend Al Pacino and screen goddess Michelle Pfeiffer. The movie is so much more about the love story. It is a very perceptive movie about people who are lonely and people who are trapped into their own lives. The movie has an achingly melancholic mood. Pfeiffer was phenomenal and proved that she deserved the part. Her beauty was toned down to make her look as ordinary as possible. The character she played has so much depth and layer that is pretty uncommon for films generally regarded as romance films. Pacino of course was good, this is his and Pfeiffer's second team up after "Scarface" of course I love the fact that he played the role with such ease and charm which is a lot different from his more serious roles before. The supporting actors Nathan Lane and Kate Nelligan stole some scenes.There are some lovely moments,. I liked the scene in the flower market, where the two are standing together and the metal door slides up to display a dazzling backdrop of red and orange flowers. Also, the final scene with the toothbrushes and Claire de Lune is nicely done. Pfeiffer is particularly good here and Pacino backs her up all the way. Still there are so many hackneyed clichés. Perhaps its just that we have seen so many films, good ones in which people are more realistically portrayed that it's annoying to see so many old-timey stock types: the good hearted gay buddy, the good hearted but slutty waitress buddy, the good hearted Greek restaurant owner, the good hearted homely waitress buddy, the good-hearted Puerto-Rican busboy and the good-hearted black busboy. Then there are the good hearted clients. If they had gone for realistic characterizations of some of these people rather than going for heart-warming "types" this could have been a much better film. I blame Garry Marshall for this. Pacino and Pfeiffer did their best to bring some class to this film.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is an isolated waitress working at a greasy Manhattan diner with a cast of wacky characters. She's recovering from a bad marriage. Her best friend is gay neighbor Tim (Nathan Lane). Johnny (Al Pacino) recently got out of jail. Diner owner Nick (Héctor Elizondo) gives the ex-con a chance as the fry cook.There is a needed change when a romantic role written for Kathy Bates goes to Michelle Pfeiffer. The switch can be done smartly. Pfeiffer looks like a Hollywood starlet no matter how plain the makeup girls try to make her. The simple fix is every straight male character has to make a pass at her. It would be more believable and it would allow Frankie to reject every one of them. She would be alone by choice which fits her character perfectly. It's really weird when Pfeiffer asks why Pacino wants to go out with her. Get a mirror.If one ignores that problem, this is a pretty good romance with two of the best actors around. They deliver compelling performances. Pacino has a fun bit of prison sex. Pfeiffer's loneliness is palpable but her beauty does need acknowledgment by the movie.

This is definitely one of my all time favorite movies. It has an amazing positive atmosphere, great romance and a good handful of funny moments. But it also has serious stuff in it that connects to the realism of love. It shows the damage of what love does to people and when the right person comes along to make it better.Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer) has had bad experiences with love in the past and it causes her to retreat when Johnny, (Al Pacino) an ex con newly hired in the restaurant where she works, asks her out. With the help of her friends, she agrees to go on a date with him. But the more their romance blossoms, the more Frankie becomes scared of being hurt again.There are important things to learn from this movie. If you found someone really special, don't let the mistakes of the past ruin it for you. The film itself has a lot of references to songs which makes it even more romantic. Romantic dramas often end in tears, but this one doesn't. It's truthful and simple. 10 out of 10.