D: Mel Smith
Virgin/LWT/Working Title (Tim Bevan)
UK 1989
92 mins
Comedy
W: Richard Curtis
DP: Adrian Biddle
Ed: Dan Rae
Mus: Peter Brewis
Jeff Goldblum (Dexter King), Emma Thompson (Kate
Lemmon), Rowan Atkinson (Ron Anderson), Geraldine James (Carmen), Anna Massey (Mary), Emil Wolk (Cyprus Charlie)
An American actor, often typecast as a 'tall guy'
spends most of his time playing the straight man and mistreated sidekick to an obnoxiously cruel British comedian, before falling in love with a nurse and striking it big as the lead in a
musical adaptation of 'The Elephant Man'.
A comedy without a true identity of what type of
humour to tap into, flirting with slapstick, sex farce and spoof.
Despite this, it has some hilarious moments,
especially the iconic sex scene between Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson, but Rowan Atkinson steals the show as a complete bastard and the musical show of The Elephant Man provides
some amusement at Andrew Lloyd-Webber's expense.
6/10