Latest Updates - James Farentino

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

Strange one this...

...I've always liked it since seeing it in the cinema, but haven't seen it again in quite few years, so wanted to see how well it held up.

The essential premise is another one of those Hitchcock pastiches: A guy falls for a woman and suspects her motives, and begins to think she's out to murder him - but played for laughs, very much the same as the later Mike Myers movie: So I Married An Axe Murderer (Also good)...

...She being a Romanian accused of murder, with a strong suggestion of espionage and murky international political intrigue as her motive - Selleck, being a fading, down on his luck schlock, dime store crime fiction writer, attending court for inspiration, beholds her as she is presented to court, and is instantly smitten... So much so he puts himself forward as "her alibi", and takes her in, where all the comedic farce of suspicion ensues.

Granted the premise itself is a bit creepy now, and there are more than a few "yikes" moments throughout, but otherwise it's still funny, and amusing, with a great framing device, of his narration of events (in his capacity as a writer) inspired by what's happening, and of course, placing himself as the hero in this wildly exaggerated "version" of events, contrasts wildly with the reality of his bungling, haphazard, and comical behaviour, gives it a knowing, self aware, and self deprecating tone.

A fairly short movie, somewhat absurd, but still fun.

..And with the added bonus of one of those end credit songs I'd long forgotten, but instantly recognised when it played, and now can't get out of my head... that being this one, by Randy Newman:

[YouTube Video]