MICHELLE PFEIFFER stole the spotlight and most of the favorable raves for her role as Susie Diamond, the lounge singer who slithers across the piano toward JEFF BRIDGES as she sings "Makin'Whoopee" and gives movie fans the sexiest nightclub act since Rita Hayworth's strip tease as "Gilda".
But make no mistake about it--the movie only confirms what I've thought a long time about JEFF BRIDGES--he's one of the most natural, subtle and underrated actors in films today. He never hits a false note as the musician who can't commit himself to anything, including women, his nightclub career and his brother, BEAU BRIDGES, who runs the club circuit business.
It's a pleasure watching these three as the story slowly evolves around their destinies as club performers, with Bridges falling out of favor with his brother over his infatuation with singer Pfeiffer who becomes an integral part of their nightclub act.
The story is transparently thin and there are times when the running length of the film seems too expanded to carry the slim story. The basic premise reminds me of an old film starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye and Don Ameche, called "Alexander's Ragtime Band", in which Power and Ameche fight over their hired singer Faye. Of course, THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS is much saltier and much grittier than that oldie, but it is just as tune-filled with some superb orchestrations of popular songs and jazz tunes, thanks to Dave Grusin's great score.
Pfeiffer does her own singing and does it well, and the Bridges boys look as though they're really doing all that nimble work at the piano.
But make no mistake about it--the movie only confirms what I've thought a long time about JEFF BRIDGES--he's one of the most natural, subtle and underrated actors in films today. He never hits a false note as the musician who can't commit himself to anything, including women, his nightclub career and his brother, BEAU BRIDGES, who runs the club circuit business.
It's a pleasure watching these three as the story slowly evolves around their destinies as club performers, with Bridges falling out of favor with his brother over his infatuation with singer Pfeiffer who becomes an integral part of their nightclub act.
The story is transparently thin and there are times when the running length of the film seems too expanded to carry the slim story. The basic premise reminds me of an old film starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye and Don Ameche, called "Alexander's Ragtime Band", in which Power and Ameche fight over their hired singer Faye. Of course, THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS is much saltier and much grittier than that oldie, but it is just as tune-filled with some superb orchestrations of popular songs and jazz tunes, thanks to Dave Grusin's great score.
Pfeiffer does her own singing and does it well, and the Bridges boys look as though they're really doing all that nimble work at the piano.