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Frankie and Johnny

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Frankie and Johnny (1991)

October. 11,1991
|
6.7
|
R
| Drama Comedy Romance
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When Johnny is released from prison following a forgery charge, he quickly lands a job as a short-order cook at a New York diner. Following a brief fling with waitress Cora, Frankie develops an attraction for Cora's friend and fellow waitress Frankie. While Frankie resists Johnny's charms initially, she eventually relents when her best friend, Tim, persuades her to give Johnny a chance.

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Reviews

BlazeLime
1991/10/11

Strong and Moving!

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BeSummers
1991/10/12

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

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Salubfoto
1991/10/13

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

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Lucia Ayala
1991/10/14

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

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SnoopyStyle
1991/10/15

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.

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classicsoncall
1991/10/16

I'm surprised by the number of reviewers stating that this movie is on their Top 10 list; I thought it was an adequate story though it tried really hard to over play the will she/won't she angst of Michelle Pfeiffer's character. For Pacino, this was not in the Michael Corleone league, but his performance was generally up for the task. For a while there I thought Nick's (Hector Elizondo) daughter Pookie was going to have a larger role to play but I can't even find her name in the credits. Too bad, I thought there was something going on there.Usually in older films (and this one's not that old) I find myself making a mental note of things like the cost of merchandise relative to today's prices, so it was a bit of reverse shock to see Frankie (Pfeiffer) anxiously eyeing a VCR machine at the sale price of $199. If you can even find one today, it would be outdone by a DVD player for about thirty bucks. Just goes to show you how the advance of technology has made life better over time.My main disappointment with the film is that they never played the song 'Frankie and Johnny'. Granted, it might have been a downer since after all, Frankie pulled out that forty-four and plugged Johnny with it. But it doesn't sound all that bad when Sam Cooke tells the story.

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leplatypus
1991/10/17

Well, this movie is a real sadness because it's unfortunate that the only comedy / romance of Al is not a masterpiece.Yet, It begins very well: the 80's, NYC, Al, the fine Michelle. Their flirting is rather funny and tender between those two lost souls. It's all the more moving than they are both blue-collar: they earn little, live in tiny flat.But, the final last hour, the movie just dies: no more locations, they are stuck in Michelle's studio. They keep talking and arguing and it's really boring: As in "Closer", the director forgets it's a film he has to make and not a recording of the play. It's stiff, static and in addition, the characters aren't so well handled: Al / Johnny is too oafish: sure, he's in love but it's not clear why he fell for her. Michelle / Frankie is really scary because for a lover, she cries and shoots more than she kisses! Finally, it's nearly a drama !!

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writers_reign
1991/10/18

I just caught up with this via a national newspaper freebie and I didn't find it a chore to watch in spite of the fact I could have written it myself after the first reel. Thing is I actually like these Broadway rom-coms interchangeable though they may be - here, for example, we were watching a variation on The Owl And The Pussycat, the twist - if you can call it that - being that the guy is in love with the gal from the get-go instead of being beaten into submission by her kookiness. Frankie isn't exactly an almost-hooker but she is a waitress and Johnny isn't exactly a wannabee writer but he does have the better education albeit self-taught. Add strong support in the shape of Kate Nelligan and Nathan Lane and what's not to like.

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