Modern Romance (1981)

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writers (WGA):

Albert Brooks (written by) &
Monica Mcgowan Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Robert was madly in love with Mary. Mary was madly in love with him. Under the circumstances they did the only thing they could do... they broke up.

Plot:

Albert Brooks directs himself as a successful film editor with far too many issues that affects the relationship between he and his remarkably patient girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Film Making | Directed By Star | Sound Effect | Comedy Of Manners | Obsession

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Albert Brooks	...	Robert Cole
Kathryn Harrold	...	Mary Harvard
Tyann Means	...	Waitress
Bruno Kirby	...	Jay
Jane Hallaren	...	Ellen
Karen Chandler	...	Neighbor
Dennis Kort	...	Health Food Salesman
Bob Einstein	...	Sporting Goods Salesman
Virginia Feingold	...	Bank Receptionist
Thelma Leeds	...	Albert Brooks' Mother (as Thelma Bernstein)
Candy Castillo	...	Drugstore Manager
James L. Brooks	...	David
George Kennedy	...	Himself and Zeron
Rick Beckner	...	Zeon
Jerry Belson	...	Jerry

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Idyllwild, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to Albert Brooks, Stanley Kubrick called him up after the movie came out and said told him he always wanted to do a film about jealousy. Later Kubrick made Eyes Wide Shut (1999), which explores the same theme.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Albert is high on Quaaludes, he puts on a record album and the disco hit "A Fifth of Beethoven" comes on. But watch the needle on the turntable - you can see the arm retracting and returning from the spindle while the music is playing.

Quotes:

Robert Cole: [stretching before his first jog after breaking up] One, two, three! And I don't even miss her, two, three! One, two, three! And I don't even miss her, two, three...!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005)

Soundtrack:

A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN

Modern Romance and Ancient Angst

If the world does indeed break down into Albert Brooks' fans and detractors, then I'm definitely in with the former. We are probably something akin to "negatively charged quarks" while the others are "super strings?" As an experiment, I wonder if a relationship could brook both sides of the Albert spectrum and last outside a vacuum??

Anyways, this is a fine 90 minute (so street legal as a feature film) comedy that feels shorter. The alert level for "needy neurosis" on this should be set as high as the scale goes. Indeed frequently we hit the "cringe" zone that Larry David is mining these days with his "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and earlier with Seinfeld.

While there are not a lot of laugh-out-loud moments for me, I don't think that is why the film moves so quickly. I think Brooks is just economical with what he shows us, I rarely feel (in any of his films) that he ever stoops to the audience. For the pace of this film to keep up is a tribute to the fact that its focus is a relationship that is going nowhere.

Even if it has to visit Idylwild to get to nowhere.

I suppose there's a potential deeper level here in that people who look for trouble in a relationship, or in a sci-fi film with George Kennedy, can always find such trouble. Even if it requires looking to the level of ridiculous detail.

Of course most films from 20 years ago are dated, and while the song-based humor, the quaalude interlude and answering machine are dated as dressing to the film, I really don't think the message is that far off mark today. If anything, I'd like to see Brooks take this a step further in the wake of Dr. Phil and others and deal with folks who NEED to have troubles in their relationships.

If you are looking for trouble in this film, go in expecting to identify with Brooks. Even when he hits moments that most of us could connect with (some exasperation with a parent, odd confessions to a co-worker, jumping back into the dating pool too quickly, getting swindled by salesfolks), he usually carries it to the level of lampooning. It's funny for me, but I think some people want so badly to identify with such a lead character that they cannot let go at these moments.

Anyways, I think this is a film worth seeing, indeed you probably should arrange to see it on cable with a potential boyfriend/girlfriend on one of your earlier dates. If you both like it, things are looking good. If you both detest it, likewise. One up and one down....hmmm, maybe try "My First Mister" as a backup test?

6/10