I love stories with overlapping characters. This is one of them and I really enjoyed it. Interesting and somewhat mysterious characters, some seemingly separate but unknowingly linked together in an intricate pattern. I always liked Lesley Anne Warren who, along with Keith Carradine, Genevieve Bujold, Rae Dawn Chong and an early John Larrouquette provide some good performances. If you're into character driven movies I think you'll like this one.
50 Reviews
For Adult Sensibilities
vvanpo24 April 2003
This movie holds a special place for me because I consider it to be my first "adult" film. Meaning this is the first movie made for adults with adult themes that I really paid attention to and liked. This doesn't mean it contains a lot of nudity and profanity. Actually it doesn't have much of either and that's a relief.
Keith Carradine is great as Mickey, a man will marry any woman he kisses. A man suffering the trials and tribulations of someone who always tells the truth. Two of the women that come into his life are "Ann" (also Nancy Love) and "Eve" (also Eve). Genevieve Bujold and Lesley Ann Warren play them with style.
Pepper it with characters make this movie a light treat. Alas it has dated a bit from its '80's self. But the Freddy Pendergrass music is still marvelous and sets "Choose Me"'s mood right.
Keith Carradine is great as Mickey, a man will marry any woman he kisses. A man suffering the trials and tribulations of someone who always tells the truth. Two of the women that come into his life are "Ann" (also Nancy Love) and "Eve" (also Eve). Genevieve Bujold and Lesley Ann Warren play them with style.
Pepper it with characters make this movie a light treat. Alas it has dated a bit from its '80's self. But the Freddy Pendergrass music is still marvelous and sets "Choose Me"'s mood right.
Sublime Trash
strat-831 January 2002
With atmosphere to spare. If you've never wandered LA's back-streets at night, this movie will give you a taste.
The theme of this movie is a common one, the search for love.
Highly stylized. Overloaded with delicious details and clever ideas. Characters with quirky (and intriguing) personality traits. What male viewer wouldn't want to be like the main protagonist, Keith Carradine's character? Fighter pilot, spy, expert mechanic. What female viewer wouldn't identify with either of the two lead female roles? Tough yet vulnerable, sexy, desirable, but unable to play the mating game and win.
All the characters are interconnected, but they don't always know it. The writer/director gets full marks for interesting characters and a story that twists and turns in on itself, but now comes the challenge of making it cohesive and comprehensible. That's where the movie doesn't hold up as well.
There is not enough "glue" between scenes. There are too many places where the plot takes a leap and the viewer is expected to fill in the gap. I found myself asking, "where did that come from?". I kept wanting to replay the previous scene because I had missed the transition, but there wasn't one.
I wish Rudolph had a collaborator with the screenplay and the directing. I feel the casting was very good, but the performances are often stilted, like what you might find in a high school production. Awkward pauses and intonations in the dialog. This also makes the story hard to follow and hard to believe. I can't decide if this was intentional or not. Reminds me of Hal Hartley.
This movie is not for everyone. Personally, I love it, warts and all. I've seen it three times and own the DVD. The Teddy Pendergrass songs are wonderful and I would say under-used in the film. Very surprised to see Maltin give this 3.5 stars, even if it is "a critics movie". He must have been in a good mood that day.
The theme of this movie is a common one, the search for love.
Highly stylized. Overloaded with delicious details and clever ideas. Characters with quirky (and intriguing) personality traits. What male viewer wouldn't want to be like the main protagonist, Keith Carradine's character? Fighter pilot, spy, expert mechanic. What female viewer wouldn't identify with either of the two lead female roles? Tough yet vulnerable, sexy, desirable, but unable to play the mating game and win.
All the characters are interconnected, but they don't always know it. The writer/director gets full marks for interesting characters and a story that twists and turns in on itself, but now comes the challenge of making it cohesive and comprehensible. That's where the movie doesn't hold up as well.
There is not enough "glue" between scenes. There are too many places where the plot takes a leap and the viewer is expected to fill in the gap. I found myself asking, "where did that come from?". I kept wanting to replay the previous scene because I had missed the transition, but there wasn't one.
I wish Rudolph had a collaborator with the screenplay and the directing. I feel the casting was very good, but the performances are often stilted, like what you might find in a high school production. Awkward pauses and intonations in the dialog. This also makes the story hard to follow and hard to believe. I can't decide if this was intentional or not. Reminds me of Hal Hartley.
This movie is not for everyone. Personally, I love it, warts and all. I've seen it three times and own the DVD. The Teddy Pendergrass songs are wonderful and I would say under-used in the film. Very surprised to see Maltin give this 3.5 stars, even if it is "a critics movie". He must have been in a good mood that day.
Really one of my favorites
cookiela20017 May 2003
This film has always struck a special chord with me, although not all of the friends I've recommended it to over the years have liked it. I think you have to be a city person who's gone through some hard knocks in love to really embrace it. The scenes featuring Rae Dawn Chong aren't so special...(she's the weakest link)...but the scene where Bujold chats with Carradine after sex while getting dressed for work, the scenes with Dr. Love on the radio, the scene where Warren comes home from work to find that her roommate has stolen her boyfriend...these all have an immediate, bittersweet quality that's very haunting. Overall, the acting is flawless, and the whole film is an original. I only wish it were longer.
I chose "Choose Me" again...
garypage29 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
I had seen this movie on a cable channel many years ago and once on DVD when it first came out. Somehow, something compelled me to rent it again a few years later in order to watch it again.
I only vaguely remembered what the story was about and only vaguely remember ever watching this film before. (Maybe that kind of sums up the film--a vague story fleshed out with some interesting characters.) As I rewatched this film, it was like seeing it again for the first time. If you gave me a million dollars I couldn't have predicted what the next scene would have been or how the film ended. (And I don't suffer from Alzheimer's disease, drink excessively, or do drugs.)
The story contains enough twists to keep it interesting, and quirky, yet endearing characters to keep a viewer compelled to watch it. Still, I can't really put my finger on what the whole things adds up to. I guess it was trying to tell me that even the most love-scarred people can find love in this world. Or maybe it was saying that if you keep looking for love, you'll find it--maybe not in the way, shape, or form you intended it.
Anyway, the story revolves around a man who is released from a mental institution who is on his way to Las Vegas, but ends up in downtown Los Angeles. He interacts with a trio of women (one a "Love-Line" talk show host, another a bar owner, and the last a kept woman) whom he influences and they in turn influence him. Remarkably all the people are connected in ways that the viewer (and sometimes even they) is/are not aware of. (Alan Rudolph who wrote and directed the film and who also worked with Robert Altman on many of his films employs some of the same techniques Altman uses concerning multiple, interconnecting story lines and characters. Then again, maybe it was Altman who was using Rudolph's techniques.))
All the actors do a good job and it's good to see John Larroquette playing a serious role. The only problem I had was with Geneviève Bujold's acting.
SPOILER
(Bujold plays the talk show host (who is incognito) and she moves in with Jennifer's Warren's character. Warren's character calls Bujold's character on the phone for advice about her love life several times in the film they have several conversations throughout the film. Warren is unaware that her roommate and the talk show host are one and the same person. Now, Bujold's accent is VERY distinctive and obviously Warren's character should have put two and two together. Too bad that Bujold is not a good enough actress to be able to handle two different accents in the film.)
END OF SPOILER
Anyway, the many times I have watched this film have always resulted in an enjoyable experience so I rate this film an 7.
I only vaguely remembered what the story was about and only vaguely remember ever watching this film before. (Maybe that kind of sums up the film--a vague story fleshed out with some interesting characters.) As I rewatched this film, it was like seeing it again for the first time. If you gave me a million dollars I couldn't have predicted what the next scene would have been or how the film ended. (And I don't suffer from Alzheimer's disease, drink excessively, or do drugs.)
The story contains enough twists to keep it interesting, and quirky, yet endearing characters to keep a viewer compelled to watch it. Still, I can't really put my finger on what the whole things adds up to. I guess it was trying to tell me that even the most love-scarred people can find love in this world. Or maybe it was saying that if you keep looking for love, you'll find it--maybe not in the way, shape, or form you intended it.
Anyway, the story revolves around a man who is released from a mental institution who is on his way to Las Vegas, but ends up in downtown Los Angeles. He interacts with a trio of women (one a "Love-Line" talk show host, another a bar owner, and the last a kept woman) whom he influences and they in turn influence him. Remarkably all the people are connected in ways that the viewer (and sometimes even they) is/are not aware of. (Alan Rudolph who wrote and directed the film and who also worked with Robert Altman on many of his films employs some of the same techniques Altman uses concerning multiple, interconnecting story lines and characters. Then again, maybe it was Altman who was using Rudolph's techniques.))
All the actors do a good job and it's good to see John Larroquette playing a serious role. The only problem I had was with Geneviève Bujold's acting.
SPOILER
(Bujold plays the talk show host (who is incognito) and she moves in with Jennifer's Warren's character. Warren's character calls Bujold's character on the phone for advice about her love life several times in the film they have several conversations throughout the film. Warren is unaware that her roommate and the talk show host are one and the same person. Now, Bujold's accent is VERY distinctive and obviously Warren's character should have put two and two together. Too bad that Bujold is not a good enough actress to be able to handle two different accents in the film.)
END OF SPOILER
Anyway, the many times I have watched this film have always resulted in an enjoyable experience so I rate this film an 7.
Strides with confidence into the netherworld of sexual politics.
budmassey28 February 2002
This film strides with confidence into the netherworld of sexual politics. The story is overloaded with allusion, and the actors all render brilliantly nuanced performances inside characters that bristle with sexual energy and conflict.
Geneviève Bujold, as Dr. Nancy Love, is adept at giving radio talk show advice to her listeners, but cannot interact with people in real life. Had the internet been popular then, she would have been an AOL Chat Room Goddess. Her vulnerability blossoms like a rose as she gets caught up in the lives of her new roommate and her lovers.
Keith Carradine plays Mickey, who may or may not be a compulsive liar, but can often substantiate the wild boasts with which he regales anyone who will listen. He is deviously seductive, literally, and his ability to weave truth and lies into a delicate web ensnares and at the same time repulses the women he meets.
Lesley Ann Warren, as Eve, is a former hooker who owns a bar she just had to buy because it had been named for another Eve, who provides a connection to Mickey, maybe. Similarly, every character is delicately, and sometimes most indelicately, connected to every other character. Usually they don't know it, but their lives revolve around one another's secrets. The underlying message appears to be that to know someone, one must discover their secrets, and perhaps that is a bit too obvious to bear comment, but a more universal and ironic truth lies beneath. We want people to accept us as we present ourselves to them, but we demand of those we would care for that we see their inner selves.
Rae Dawn Chong and John Larroquette head up a sterling supporting cast, but Bujold, Keith and Warren are dead solid perfect in their fragile and complex portrayals.
This is one of my all time favorite films, and if you notice that it has a decidedly Altmanesque feeling, it's because director Alan Rudolph was, in fact, an early protégé. I watch it when I want to remember the 80's and wonder how any of us survived, but it's an acquired taste. There should be a warning on the cover; "Caution. Watching This Movie May Require an Intellect."
Geneviève Bujold, as Dr. Nancy Love, is adept at giving radio talk show advice to her listeners, but cannot interact with people in real life. Had the internet been popular then, she would have been an AOL Chat Room Goddess. Her vulnerability blossoms like a rose as she gets caught up in the lives of her new roommate and her lovers.
Keith Carradine plays Mickey, who may or may not be a compulsive liar, but can often substantiate the wild boasts with which he regales anyone who will listen. He is deviously seductive, literally, and his ability to weave truth and lies into a delicate web ensnares and at the same time repulses the women he meets.
Lesley Ann Warren, as Eve, is a former hooker who owns a bar she just had to buy because it had been named for another Eve, who provides a connection to Mickey, maybe. Similarly, every character is delicately, and sometimes most indelicately, connected to every other character. Usually they don't know it, but their lives revolve around one another's secrets. The underlying message appears to be that to know someone, one must discover their secrets, and perhaps that is a bit too obvious to bear comment, but a more universal and ironic truth lies beneath. We want people to accept us as we present ourselves to them, but we demand of those we would care for that we see their inner selves.
Rae Dawn Chong and John Larroquette head up a sterling supporting cast, but Bujold, Keith and Warren are dead solid perfect in their fragile and complex portrayals.
This is one of my all time favorite films, and if you notice that it has a decidedly Altmanesque feeling, it's because director Alan Rudolph was, in fact, an early protégé. I watch it when I want to remember the 80's and wonder how any of us survived, but it's an acquired taste. There should be a warning on the cover; "Caution. Watching This Movie May Require an Intellect."
Offbeat and catchy
bigdiogi6 August 2000
Saw this film on a whim and became entranced. The strange premise was intriguing and the plot twists continued to catch me off guard. The wistful longing for romance displayed by the lead actor will touch a cord with anyone who has desperately needed to be loved. And that is most of us, isn't it?
Found the acting superb across the board. The story was totally unpredictable. Twisted and weird yet it never exceeded my ability to believe.
Too bad only 300 people ever saw this film. I believe it is one of the most seriously underrated movies ever produced.
Found the acting superb across the board. The story was totally unpredictable. Twisted and weird yet it never exceeded my ability to believe.
Too bad only 300 people ever saw this film. I believe it is one of the most seriously underrated movies ever produced.
It is possible to strongly dislike this film
pine50826 August 2006
Although my wife really enjoys this movie, I have watched it with her on tape twice now and despite many people really loving this film, I can't stand it.
Although the actors are good, somehow the dialogue and character behavior is almost always unnatural, the characters are unidimensional in that everything is about sex or some juvenile understanding of love, and it is very slowly paced, with long pauses between lines. It is hard to care about these characters, and the story seems written by someone with little real understanding of people. For these reasons, it seems like a porno movie minus the sex scenes. (And there is someone smoking in pretty much every scene!).
And so, be warned: the film is not for everyone. If you enjoy it for whatever reason (the 1980s nostalgia or Teddy Pendergrass music are good reasons), great, but if you don't, don't think you are "not getting" anything.
Although the actors are good, somehow the dialogue and character behavior is almost always unnatural, the characters are unidimensional in that everything is about sex or some juvenile understanding of love, and it is very slowly paced, with long pauses between lines. It is hard to care about these characters, and the story seems written by someone with little real understanding of people. For these reasons, it seems like a porno movie minus the sex scenes. (And there is someone smoking in pretty much every scene!).
And so, be warned: the film is not for everyone. If you enjoy it for whatever reason (the 1980s nostalgia or Teddy Pendergrass music are good reasons), great, but if you don't, don't think you are "not getting" anything.
Romantic, intelligent, colorful, adult movie
preppy-36 August 2005
Lesley Ann Warren owns a bar in LA. She has the habit of sleeping around with almost any man--she's just looking for love. Genevieve Bujold plays a radio relationship talker, Dr. Love. She has severe issues herself with love and sex. Keith Carradine is a drifter who enters their lives...and things go barreling out of control.
Very strange but great movie. It's shot mostly at night in beautiful film noirish settings (look at all the smoke in the bar and at a card game). It's also one of the most romantic films I've ever seen. There's a virtually nonstop score by Teddy Pendergrass--soft romantic songs that perfectly set the mood. All the dialogue is about love, sex and relationships but on a very adult, intelligent level. It's full of great lines and sharp insights. It all leads up to a happy ending (sort of).
The cast is just excellent. Warren is fascinating--sexy and beautiful but deeply damaged. She shows it through her face and expressions extremely well. Carradine plays the whole role with a blank face--but that fits his character (a compulsive lair). He is so many things to himself and everybody else that he has no identity. Best of all is Bujold in a very difficult role--she has the play a sex radio therapist who is perfectly in control and a woman who has NO control over her life and loves. Everything about her (especially her voice) changes between the characters and you always see both inside her at the same time. She also has a few monologues that are fascinating and funny at the same time. Rae Dawn Chong is pretty good in a supporting role--love her apartment (check out the posters on the wall). Patrick Bauchau is pretty bad in another supporting role--but not enough to destroy the movie.
Direction by Alan Rudolph is great. He bathes many scenes in red lights and I LOVE how the camera moves back and forth during a conversation between Bujold and Carradine. He also wrote the great script. One minor complaint--Bujold has a few short, dark fantasies which are never explained. What was all that about? This was a big art house hit back in 1984 and deservedly received a cult following. But it seems to have disappeared since then (the DVD was released with no fanfare at all). Still it's well worth seeing.
Very strange but great movie. It's shot mostly at night in beautiful film noirish settings (look at all the smoke in the bar and at a card game). It's also one of the most romantic films I've ever seen. There's a virtually nonstop score by Teddy Pendergrass--soft romantic songs that perfectly set the mood. All the dialogue is about love, sex and relationships but on a very adult, intelligent level. It's full of great lines and sharp insights. It all leads up to a happy ending (sort of).
The cast is just excellent. Warren is fascinating--sexy and beautiful but deeply damaged. She shows it through her face and expressions extremely well. Carradine plays the whole role with a blank face--but that fits his character (a compulsive lair). He is so many things to himself and everybody else that he has no identity. Best of all is Bujold in a very difficult role--she has the play a sex radio therapist who is perfectly in control and a woman who has NO control over her life and loves. Everything about her (especially her voice) changes between the characters and you always see both inside her at the same time. She also has a few monologues that are fascinating and funny at the same time. Rae Dawn Chong is pretty good in a supporting role--love her apartment (check out the posters on the wall). Patrick Bauchau is pretty bad in another supporting role--but not enough to destroy the movie.
Direction by Alan Rudolph is great. He bathes many scenes in red lights and I LOVE how the camera moves back and forth during a conversation between Bujold and Carradine. He also wrote the great script. One minor complaint--Bujold has a few short, dark fantasies which are never explained. What was all that about? This was a big art house hit back in 1984 and deservedly received a cult following. But it seems to have disappeared since then (the DVD was released with no fanfare at all). Still it's well worth seeing.
What???
rgmayne25 May 2008
I read some of the other comments and apparently they saw a different movie than I did. This was a horrible awful movie, yet oddly I couldn't turn away from this train wreck. The characters were unlikeable and the plot was obvious. There is no continuity, hair goes from curly to straight to curly again in minutes! Not only was the acting boring, but the actors appeared board as well. In one love scene, Geneviève Bujold is stiff as a bored, then for about 30 seconds she moved (I'm sure the director told her to do something, ANYTHING) followed by more stiffness.
The movie seemed dated even for its time. It was released in 1984, but seemed to be more like a 70s porn movie...without the sex.
The movie seemed dated even for its time. It was released in 1984, but seemed to be more like a 70s porn movie...without the sex.
wonderfully quirky and complex
jrcoxx10 March 2007
Since my first viewing of this film, I have never been quite able to get it out of my mind. The principal characters interact in simultaneously theatrical and believable fashions, and Genevieve Bujold as the crazy "Doctor Love" is simply irresistible. David Carradine is a sympathetic nut-case -- not an easy job to pull off, and Lesley Anne Warren is both strong and incredibly vulnerable. If you like a film with continuous contrasts and quirky ensemble cast, this is the movie for you. but don't hold out for a happy ending, even though you might? get one... wonderfully quirky and complex, this film bears many a repeat viewing. You will discover something new every time, nd, if you pay close attention, is sure to become a favorite.
Superb film
caa8215 November 2006
I suppose like most persons who access IMDb, sometimes I want simply to get some information on a movie, title or principal. Other times it's to enter comment on a particular film or show, sometimes just to browse, and sometimes to do some combination of these.
Having just seen this film again, I looked at some of the previous comments first. One was made by "budmassey" more than 4-1/2 years ago, and is probably one of the best reviews of a film - professional or amateur, lengthy or brief - I've ever seen.
If anyone happens upon this one, please look at his. I agree with him totally - and this film truly encompasses ALLUSION, NUANCE and SEXUAL ENERGY (without any prurient aspects for the latter) as well as any piece of entertainment, ever.
Keith Carradine and Lesley Ann Warren are two of the most talented, interesting and engaging actors I've ever seen - and I have enjoyed each one's performance in any film or television production I've seen.
Genevieve Bujold and all of the picture's remaining cast are also outstanding, and in addition to "budmassey"'s adjectives, I'd add that this film, throughout, is one of the most ENGROSSING you'll find.
Having just seen this film again, I looked at some of the previous comments first. One was made by "budmassey" more than 4-1/2 years ago, and is probably one of the best reviews of a film - professional or amateur, lengthy or brief - I've ever seen.
If anyone happens upon this one, please look at his. I agree with him totally - and this film truly encompasses ALLUSION, NUANCE and SEXUAL ENERGY (without any prurient aspects for the latter) as well as any piece of entertainment, ever.
Keith Carradine and Lesley Ann Warren are two of the most talented, interesting and engaging actors I've ever seen - and I have enjoyed each one's performance in any film or television production I've seen.
Genevieve Bujold and all of the picture's remaining cast are also outstanding, and in addition to "budmassey"'s adjectives, I'd add that this film, throughout, is one of the most ENGROSSING you'll find.
ridiculous coincidences
LeaBlacks_Balls21 February 2010
'Choose Me' concerns the interconnected love lives of several attractive people living in Los Angeles. They include a radio host (Bujold,) an escaped mental patient (Carradine,) an owner of a nightclub (Warren,) her married lover (Patrick Bauchau,) and his bored wife (Chong.) All these characters cross paths constantly. The nightclub owner calls the radio show for love advice, the radio host moves in with the nightclub owner, the mental patient sleeps with both of them, separately. Also getting involved are the married man, who plays poker with and fights the mental patient, who then sleeps with his wife, who hangs out at the nightclub.
It's all very convoluted and unbelievable. The ridiculous coincidences in this movie make the forced connections in 'Crash' seem absolutely brilliant. And none of it is ever very interesting. This was supposed to be a 'serious comedy' but all it turned out to be was a boring cheese-fest.
No one comes out of this unscathed. Everyone gives terrible performances, especially Rae Dawn Chong. The scene where her husband finds her in bed with the mental patient is hilarious for all the wrong reasons.
'Choose Me' also has a horrible soundtrack. Over all the scenes that should be romantic or dramatic, R&B songs by Teddy Pendergrass are played. It makes this already boring movie even harder to watch. On their own the songs aren't bad, but they just seem so out of place in this film.
It's all very convoluted and unbelievable. The ridiculous coincidences in this movie make the forced connections in 'Crash' seem absolutely brilliant. And none of it is ever very interesting. This was supposed to be a 'serious comedy' but all it turned out to be was a boring cheese-fest.
No one comes out of this unscathed. Everyone gives terrible performances, especially Rae Dawn Chong. The scene where her husband finds her in bed with the mental patient is hilarious for all the wrong reasons.
'Choose Me' also has a horrible soundtrack. Over all the scenes that should be romantic or dramatic, R&B songs by Teddy Pendergrass are played. It makes this already boring movie even harder to watch. On their own the songs aren't bad, but they just seem so out of place in this film.
the most romantic movie ever made
denmn29 August 2003
Director alan rudolph is what is commonly termed an "eccentric. his films are decidely off-center, with characters ruled by quirks and odd obsessions, a committed stable of actors who appear from film to film, a sense of narrative stucture i would describe, charitably, as "loose" and funny, overlapping dialogue- all characteristics he learned from his former associate and master robert altman. when his films don't "work", which is a little better than half the time, it is like poor altman...the debts are too obvious and the deficits as well. but when the mystical alchemy of such a loose, character-driven structure do come together, such as in this film, the result is peerless (even when one of the peers in question is altman, one of the best directors the world has ever produced). choose me has a plot, rife with conicidence, fit for a screwball comedy but its tone, and the charcters in it, wander through it each in his/'her own romantic/personal reverie and the machinations of the plot seem less like a constructed device and more, as keith carradine's mickey states at on point, "just like a dream".
carradine, genvieve bujold, lesley anne warren, patrick bachau and rae dawn chong populate this world, each sad, each lonely and each bearing a burden of loss and pain, meeting and making love, and attacking (sometimes violently) as if according to some inner romantic logic only they hear. ther'es pain, there's loss, there are past mysteries and dark actions only hinted at and, strangely enough in the end...there is hope. which is what love, at its heart, truly consists of. red neon, teddy pendergrass, rain-slicked streets at 2am, a first, unexpected kiss, old movie posters, tough guys bested by tougher guys, an unending cascade of full red, hair, a sudden gunshot and an ending as weird and uncertain as love itself followed by the smile of one who, against all logic succumbs to hope. the most romantic movie ever made. period.
carradine, genvieve bujold, lesley anne warren, patrick bachau and rae dawn chong populate this world, each sad, each lonely and each bearing a burden of loss and pain, meeting and making love, and attacking (sometimes violently) as if according to some inner romantic logic only they hear. ther'es pain, there's loss, there are past mysteries and dark actions only hinted at and, strangely enough in the end...there is hope. which is what love, at its heart, truly consists of. red neon, teddy pendergrass, rain-slicked streets at 2am, a first, unexpected kiss, old movie posters, tough guys bested by tougher guys, an unending cascade of full red, hair, a sudden gunshot and an ending as weird and uncertain as love itself followed by the smile of one who, against all logic succumbs to hope. the most romantic movie ever made. period.
80s Schmaltz
Chrid-9099 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Isn't it great how people experience things in totally different ways? I just read thru most of the other reviews for this film... Some love it and think the acting is great - others hate it and think the acting is crap! Some love the soundtrack, others find it dead annoying! Some fall in between...
Many reviewers praise John Laroquette, saying he gives a great supporting performance. Why? He hardly does anything except come and go on a motorbike or stand in the UNFOCUSED background and wipe glasses in the bar! Patrick Bauchau, who has a lot more screen time, and does a load of action and says a load of stuff, hardly gets a mention! What's that about?
In this movie Genevieve Bujold is mousy and unattractive and has clothes and haircut like a boy. Then she puts on a dress, some make-up and slicks her hair back in an oily duck-tail. So now she's sexy, right? Wrong.... just even MORE unattractive!
Lesley Anne Warren, on the other hand, can act, is gorgeous, has a great figure, and can really wear clothes and walk in high heels - watching HER makes up for all the rest of the nonsense in this film!
Rudolph's earlier, 'Remember my Name', is actually a MUCH better film. Antony Perkins has far more presence than Keith Carradine, and Geraldine Chaplin is just brilliant in that movie. In fact, it would've really perked this film up if Perkins had played Mickey and Chaplin had played Nancy. After all, Mickey's supposed to be a bit crazy and no one can play a bit crazy like Antony Perkins! And Nancy is supposed to be smart and intense and Geraldine Chaplin does smart and intense superbly! Plus she's a lot more attractive!
Oh, well, you can't win 'em all...
Many reviewers praise John Laroquette, saying he gives a great supporting performance. Why? He hardly does anything except come and go on a motorbike or stand in the UNFOCUSED background and wipe glasses in the bar! Patrick Bauchau, who has a lot more screen time, and does a load of action and says a load of stuff, hardly gets a mention! What's that about?
In this movie Genevieve Bujold is mousy and unattractive and has clothes and haircut like a boy. Then she puts on a dress, some make-up and slicks her hair back in an oily duck-tail. So now she's sexy, right? Wrong.... just even MORE unattractive!
Lesley Anne Warren, on the other hand, can act, is gorgeous, has a great figure, and can really wear clothes and walk in high heels - watching HER makes up for all the rest of the nonsense in this film!
Rudolph's earlier, 'Remember my Name', is actually a MUCH better film. Antony Perkins has far more presence than Keith Carradine, and Geraldine Chaplin is just brilliant in that movie. In fact, it would've really perked this film up if Perkins had played Mickey and Chaplin had played Nancy. After all, Mickey's supposed to be a bit crazy and no one can play a bit crazy like Antony Perkins! And Nancy is supposed to be smart and intense and Geraldine Chaplin does smart and intense superbly! Plus she's a lot more attractive!
Oh, well, you can't win 'em all...
A hidden gem of a movie
brennaus5 September 2019
I am giving 10 stars for completely subjective reasons. I watched this movie when it came out in the 80's and loved it immediately. After having watched it several times, I almost forgot about it and when I stumbled across a copy in the in Internet (2019), I watched it again--and I am still loving it!
Mickey (a very hot Keith Carradine) comes to a nameless town after having escaped from a psychiatric hospital (diagnosed as a pathological liar). He goes to a bar named "Eve's" because he once was married to the previous owner, who had killed herself. He falls in love with the current owner, also named Eve (a very hot Lesley Ann Warren). He also meets other women, most importantly Nancy (a wonderful Geniviéve Bujold), who works as a radio sex therapist "Dr Nancy Love", giving advice to lonely hearts while she herself has some issues, specifically never having had a relationship and suffering from a sort of bipolar disease.
The whole movie feels sort of manneristic, e.g. the film starts with a street scene that looks so obviously shot on a stage it could almost be a musical. Apropos music: the story is driven by a superb soundtrack by Teddy Pendergrass.
The movie is about love, sex, truth, and deception. What I love about it is the mixture of art house movie (director Alan Rudolph is a protege of Robert Altman) and very emotional love stories.
I you have a chance to watch this movie--do it, you won't regret it!
Liked it and wonder if anyone else agrees with my take on the last scene
bankcello27 February 2008
I just saw this film, having recorded it on my ReplayTV. I liked it very much. I am a fan of Genevieve Bujold and try to see her films. It was occasionally a bit confusing and took a little while for everything to sink in.
Some characters, such as Zack really didn't make much sense. Also, what was he doing in a Studebaker? The poker game was fun, and even had a Goethe quotation, which I remember from way back in college (the late fifties).
Does anyone else think that the final scene is a recreation of the final scene of the Graduate? As soon as I saw it, that it what came to mind. Am I nuts, or not remembering, or is it really so?
Some characters, such as Zack really didn't make much sense. Also, what was he doing in a Studebaker? The poker game was fun, and even had a Goethe quotation, which I remember from way back in college (the late fifties).
Does anyone else think that the final scene is a recreation of the final scene of the Graduate? As soon as I saw it, that it what came to mind. Am I nuts, or not remembering, or is it really so?
Stunning
justimagine4 November 2003
I drove a long way to see this film, from Riverside to Santa Monica. Well, it was long way for me back then anyway. I loved it so much I sat through it twice that night, and came back a few nights later and sat through it twice again.
This film works for me on so many levels I can't fully describe it, but I definitely identified (and still do, to be honest) with Keith Carradine's Mickey. Chong and Bujold are appealing (especially the latter) and Leslie Ann Warren has never been better.
Rudolph and Carradine have at least one connection, by the by--the both worked on "Nashville".
This film works for me on so many levels I can't fully describe it, but I definitely identified (and still do, to be honest) with Keith Carradine's Mickey. Chong and Bujold are appealing (especially the latter) and Leslie Ann Warren has never been better.
Rudolph and Carradine have at least one connection, by the by--the both worked on "Nashville".
Sophomoric, crude, and boring
zeropage21 May 2008
Wow, where to begin with this film. The characters were mostly uninspired, broken, and sparsely developed; the plot was simple, boring, and overdone; the 'artsy' characteristics of the film weren't touching, clever, or interesting; and the cinematography wasn't appealing.
I felt like I was thrust into a mid-80's MTV street dance video full of mentally-undeveloped, childishly-simple personas who couldn't believe they were who they are. The story didn't flow and felt like cogs meshing together in a very obvious way.
A couple of the actors were good and portrayed realistic emotion. One character was developed and worthy of life. The 'point' of the movie isn't worth making.
I was left feeling unamused.
I felt like I was thrust into a mid-80's MTV street dance video full of mentally-undeveloped, childishly-simple personas who couldn't believe they were who they are. The story didn't flow and felt like cogs meshing together in a very obvious way.
A couple of the actors were good and portrayed realistic emotion. One character was developed and worthy of life. The 'point' of the movie isn't worth making.
I was left feeling unamused.
Love is in the air...
rainking_es19 January 2006
Sex, love, human relationships (and how complicated they are... or how simple -it depends-), those are the main lines of this story about love triangles and hidden identities. No one is what it seems in "Choose me". Sensuality and sexuality are in the air, you can almost breathe them. The dialogs are so direct, some of them are sharp as a knife, and a soundtrack full of soul and jazz complete this puzzle.
The starring trio have true chemistry: Leslie Ann Warren and Genevieve Bujold (two of the most attractive women at the time of the movie) and charismatic Keith Carradine are just great.
PS: Strangely enough none of the actors of "Choose me" are popular nowadays in Hollywood. It seems like they all have disappeared. Meanwhile Ben Affleck, Jessica Alba and so on keep on making money. How sad!
*My rate: 8.5/10
The starring trio have true chemistry: Leslie Ann Warren and Genevieve Bujold (two of the most attractive women at the time of the movie) and charismatic Keith Carradine are just great.
PS: Strangely enough none of the actors of "Choose me" are popular nowadays in Hollywood. It seems like they all have disappeared. Meanwhile Ben Affleck, Jessica Alba and so on keep on making money. How sad!
*My rate: 8.5/10
What?
torbi-220 May 2002
I saw this movie because someone had recommended it, and within about 15 minutes, began to wonder why I had been so gullible. The acting is deplorable, and the story is ridiculous and pointless. I have never been a fan of Genevieve Bujold's and here she is just confusing. I can't understand how anyone could give this movie a positive review.
Good looking film
Ladyhawke6 April 2000
And by that I mean not only are the cast good looking (remember John Larroquette as a young man?) but the entire film looks nice. Good camera angles, nice lighting, use of locations etc. The acting is good, there are areas where the dialogue gets a little laboured but it pulls out of it pretty quickly. I enjoyed this movie, it's a sensory experience. Not a brain-buster, but easy to watch. John Larroquette is also un-credited as being the voice of the radio station where Genevieve Bujold works.
Smooth and Unique
RobPrindle15 April 2001
Excellent film. Well paced, well written, well acted. Filled with memorable scenes and killer lines like "Sure, there might be someone better for either one of us.... but we're here now, they're not."
'Choose Me' is eclectic and hard to define. Sort of Romantic Comedy Film Noir.
'Choose Me' is eclectic and hard to define. Sort of Romantic Comedy Film Noir.
Devoid of documentary footage. Nonetheless relevant.
RooBaby28 February 1999
My mother famously tells all who will listen that she only reads true stories. She takes offense at implausible fiction, dismissing it as ridiculous. She heaps abuse on the television while viewing such stuff as"You Can't Take It With You," Olivier's film of "Hamlet," "Wings Of Desire," Fred Astaire pictures, The Simpsons. She can't abide the long stretches of zero plot development in musicals, ballets, operas. She hates characters who put on airs, and she really doesn't "want to watch" sexually evocative behavior among consenting adults. My mother loves Bob Hope monologues and says Jerry Vale has a beautiful voice.
I'm not bringing this video over to my mom's house for movie night. I'm going to make a hard drink with ice and watch this movie while lying on the sofa, with the lights off and the surround sound up to medium with the bass boost. And when it's over I'm going to get up and email an old flame. The one who could really kiss.
I'm not bringing this video over to my mom's house for movie night. I'm going to make a hard drink with ice and watch this movie while lying on the sofa, with the lights off and the surround sound up to medium with the bass boost. And when it's over I'm going to get up and email an old flame. The one who could really kiss.
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