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Frankie and Johnny More at IMDbPro »

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66 reviews in total

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35 out of 42 people found the following review useful:
Do you believe?, 16 March 2004
Author: Frédéric Larsen from Norway

The first time I saw this movie, I fell in love. The second time around, I was already in love, watching it with my love who also fell in love and now we're all in love. All because of this movie.

Set in New York, the movie deals with loneliness, different ways of coping or letting go, it deals with love, the yearning for it and also the fear of it, this magical feeling you almost don't dare hope for. The simple but genuine approach to these important themes makes the story stand out and makes you want to believe, because deep inside you already do.

You can tell the movie is based on a play, primarily because of the special atmosphere created by the careful progression of the story, scene by scene, not to mention the wonderful and individual characters we get acquainted with. Both Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino make outstanding performances and the on screen chemistry between the two is perfect.

This is an absolute must see for all you dreamers out there, and if you ever come across the play, you probably should check that out as well. Remember, the elephant must face the window and a VCR will never be a substitute for love. Sit down with this movie, and I promise you, from the first shot of the Greyhound accompanied by Terence Trent D'Arby's wonderful title track, you'll never want it to end.

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22 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
romance in the Greek Apollo-restaurant, 25 March 2001

Author: charbrom

Very pleasant love-story that wouldn't have been this good without the great performances by Pacino and Pfeiffer. Pacino is the cook with the romantic heart who just got out of jail (of course he wasn't a real criminal) starts working in a Greek restaurant and falls in love with Pfeiffer, the waitress, who just wants to watch videos and eat pizza after a few bad love-experiences. Pacino has to do a lot (read Romeo & Juliet, dance like a madman, chop vegetables and be very patient) to win her love and is finally helped by the sound of Debussy's 'Claire de Lune'.

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24 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
Overlooked., 10 December 1998

Author: Peach-2 from Netherlands

This film has been overlooked by everyone I know and to me it was one of the best movies of 1991. I didn't think the chemistry between Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer would be any good, but their on-screen romance was very enchanting. Garry Marshall did a great job directing this movie and Terrence McNally translated his play to screen beautifully. All the characters in this movie could have had a film of their own. My favorite character is Nathan Lane's portrayal of the gay neighbor. Lane is very funny and I love the way his character encourages Pfeiffer's character to fall in love. Falling in love can be dangerous, exciting, scary and blissful all in one night. This movie captures love in a way that made me feel really good.

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18 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
real love in the real world, 21 May 2002

Author: andalosia2k from USA

This is one of the best romantic movies I have ever seen. It is not one of those movies that shows love in a fantasy world where there are no rules, this is real love in the real world. Michelle Pfeiffer gives one of her best performances on screen. this movie is not only about a cook who falls for a waitress, but it is about the fears and hesitations we all have in starting a new life. The director did a great job in setting the right environment for the movie, which gave it a real realistic touch. Al Pacino gave a good performance, but Michelle Pfeiffer was perfection. There is a line in the movie that says it all , when Pfeiffer and Al Pacino are in the same room, he says : "everything I want is in this room". Don't miss seeing real love in the real world. Don't miss seeing "Frankie and Johnny".

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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Pacino and Pfeiffer ignite the screen again..., 7 December 2005

Author: Isaac5855 from United States

After their brief encounter in SCARFACE, Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer were reunited for FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, a charming romantic comedy about an ex-con hired to work at a restaurant where he falls in love with one of the waitresses there. I absolutely love this move...Pacino has rarely been more sexy and appealing on screen and no matter how much they tried to make her look like a Plain Jane, Michelle Pfeiffer is just beautiful and also gives a very affecting performance as the repressed Frankie, afraid to release the love she has to give due to a troubled romantic past. Pacino and Pfeiffer make the most of a clever script, buoyed by Garry Marshall's sure-footed direction and solid comic support from Nathan Lane, Kate Nelligan (hysterically funny as another waitress at the restaurant) and Marshall's good luck charm, Hector Elizondo, as the restaurant owner. A warm romantic comedy with an unexpectedly quiet denouement.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
A must see; Pfeiffer surprises, 29 September 2006

Author: MarieGabrielle from United States

with an excellent performance as a waitress in a down-at-heel coffee shop in NYC. Sounds unlikely, but she actually adapts to the role. Having seen "Dangerous Minds", which was a good film, but somehow she didn't fit that role. "Frankie and Johnny" is a great film to watch; I happened to watch it after a bad day, and it does take you out of your own problems.

Pacino plays a man just released from prison, who lost his wife and child to another man, trying to remake his life; this was based on a play by the same name, "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire De Lune" and basically addresses loneliness and isolation, even in a city as overcrowded as NY.

I wish Pfeiffer had done more of these roles. She was so often used as a decoration, her acting ability was not allowed to standout ("Scarface", "Witches of Eastwick") etc. She was also very good in "White Oleander" an excellent film based on the novel by Janet Fitch.

Overall this film is particularly good if you are having problems in your life, and happen to watch this basic story of people, how they stay isolated, how they eventually find each other and a commonality in their life. It is also not an over the top romantic comedy, so it has credibility. 10/10.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
A romantic, popcorn-and-wilted-roses kind of comedy-drama..., 25 April 2006

Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca

You have to give the filmmakers credit: they did attempt to deglamorize Michelle Pfeiffer to fit into Kathy Bates' off-Broadway role of a waitress with no prospects who finds herself attracted to the new cook at the restaurant. Michelle's innate sparkle manages to shine through the dowdy clothes and plain-Jane appearance, and yet the miraculous thing is, her casting doesn't hurt the movie and her performance is one of the best things about "Frankie and Johnny". Pfeiffer and Al Pacino are a good screen match, and if they don't especially resemble the characters they're playing, they at least don't throw the tone out of whack (this is a Garry Marshall movie after all, so it's bound to have a bumpy narrative). Terrence McNally's play was about hard truths and sex on a low income; this is a big, charming commercial comedy-drama, directed with energy but no real flair. Pacino lays on the Prince Charming-pizazz a bit heavily, and Nathan Lane works overtime at being adorable as the proverbial gay best friend, but it certainly isn't a bad movie. It works on a certain level, even if it doesn't resemble reality or the original play. *** from ****

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14 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Realism at it's best, 13 October 1998

Author: Manolis Dounias (dounias@compulink.gr) from Athens, Greece

Frankie and Johnny is one of the best love stories in the history of cinema. The scipt is excellent and all the performances are superb. Pacino and Pfeiifer seem to be made for each other, while all the supporting roles are equally impressive.But the most important element of this picture is that it is truly realistic. We can at last identify ourselves in this movie. It's a movie about real people not about cinderella-like characters that once thay find love are happy. Frankie and Johnny fall in love but can't stop being hurt by this love. They are two every day characters that live in today's world and face their lives and problems with realism. With a pessimistic mood Frankie refuses to fall in love as she is afraid she'll get hurt, while Johnny thinks that the only thing that can give a tone of optimism and satisfaction in his life is Frankie. In short. Frankie and Johnny is a delightful picture that no one should miss.

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10 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
where there is life, there is love, 3 August 1999
Author: Therese Venice (dontbringlulu@yahoo.com)

Love CAN be scary. Especally if you don't expect it. This movie is very good at describing how love can be. Fate can bring two people together. Believe in it. And how perfect the theme song Clair de Lune is. It's worth a listen. Love can happen....only if you believe in it.

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11 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Love this film, 7 May 2004

Author: (thisforestpath@hotmail.com) from Montclair, NJ

I watch this movie over and over and never tire of it. Each time I notice more nuance. A great exploration of despair and hope, of class consciousness, and true eartly aliveness. Poignant and honest.

Michelle plays a depressed soul, beaten down who has given up completely. And Pacino is a beaten down battered ex-con, who somehow, has held onto "the dream". Nathan Lane is great - It's romantic, poignant, funny, sad, ecstatic. I love the last scene so much. What more can I say?? Don't miss this film - it's a treat.

Nancy Mehegan, Montclair, NJ

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