Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence (1998)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Nick Hamm

Writer:

Peter Morgan (writer)

Release Date:

8 May 1998 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Two's Company. Three's a Crowd. Four's a Disaster.

Plot:

Laurence recounts to his neighbour how his life long friendship with Frank and Daniel has been overturned...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Love | London England | Judgment Day | Commitment

Cast

Monica Potter	...	Martha
Rufus Sewell	...	Frank
Tom Hollander	...	Daniel
Joseph Fiennes	...	Laurence
Ray Winstone	...	Pedersen
Debora Weston	...	First Class Passenger
Jan Pearson	...	Daniel's Senior Partner
Steven O'Donnell	...	Male Information Official
Rebecca Craig	...	Gillian - Female Information Official
Paul Bigley	...	Black's Hotel Room Service
Geoffrey McGivern	...	Travel Agent
Hamish Clark	...	Icelandair Official
Lorelei King	...	US Ground Stewardess
Steve Speirs	...	Taxi Driver
Rob Brydon	...	Bus Driver (as Robert Brydon)

Also Known As:

The Very Thought of You (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | USA:R (original rating) | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Banshee

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lawrence and Martha stop to get a bite to eat on their way back to London from the airport, Lawrence is seen reclining on the hood of his car. In the first shot, there is nothing on the hood with him. In the next shot, there is a burger and a drink.

Quotes:

[Making up after their fist fight]
Frank: This is what women feel like when they give birth.
Daniel: Yeah, except my hand kind of hurts.

Soundtrack:

Halo

Cute and funny but "useless"

I don't really know why I've written that this movie is useless. I think it's obvious that it won't change your mind or your life, won't make you cry or laugh (OK, you can smile sometimes), won't be successful, won't be anything. It's just a movie, an ordinary movie in such a competitive world.

Here in Brazil, a competitive place too, I went to one multiplex (I hope that's the name for these theatres with 7, 8, 9 (...) screens there) to watch "Teaching Mrs. Tingle" (I'm really embarrassed now). Unfortunately, the movie was sold-out, I had already watched "The Sixth Sense" twice, I really didn't want to watch "Bowfinger", the teen-trash "American Pie" again, the horrible "End of Days", and the most horrible "Letters from a killer". So, I tried the unique "watch-able" movie there, the unique romance, the unique that still had some tickets in that competitive world: "Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence".

The Brazilian name, "Mero Acaso" (in a free translation, Mere Chance or Pure Fate) is one good summary for this movie about one American woman that moves to England and, by fate, develop three relationships with three guys. These three guys are friends but they don't know that they're seeing the same woman. Interesting? Not very much.

In fact, the original title tells the story. I watched it without knowing that she would meet the three, so really enjoyed. It was relaxing, fast, cute, romantic but like films made for television. No big plot, no big camera moves, no big cast, no big musics, no big budget... (although some of the best movies I've ever seen were very cheap). And it had some awful stereotypes: the American girl was blond, feminist, modern, on (bad) fashion, colored, with a huge suitcase. The British guy was shy, out of fashion, polite, bla, bla, bla. It's perfect to watch at your house eating popcorn.

The truth is that I'm lucky. This movie is much better that "Teaching Mrs. Tingle", at least. Thanks God that we live in a competitive world!