I Love You to Death (1990)

Very disappointing...

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I wasn't going to bother with a review, because most of the other reviews have already said how funny and wonderful etc. this movie is. But there are a couple of things I'd like to add, so -- I absolutely hate movies advertised as "based on a true story." I literally do not care if a movie is based on a true story. Usually, "based on" is almost meaningless anyway. With this movie, e.g., if you read carefully, it's "very loosely based" on something. Huge numbers of movies are loosely based on something that might've happened or supposedly happened. Telling me it's "based on a true story" instantly puts me off, makes me not want to see the movie at all. If they can't give me a better reason than that to see it, then the hell with it. However, in this case I loved the movie in spite of whatever "loosely based" something there might've been. (I don't know what it was based on and I could care less.) A movie should stand or fall on its own merits. This movie stands tall, it's great. Another thing I'd like to add is, everyone keeps calling it a "black comedy." "Eating Raoul" is a black comedy. "Dr. Strangelove" is a black comedy. To me, "I Love You to Death" is just a quirky off-beat comedy. I won't bore you with what it's about, you already know (or read the other reviews). It's wonderfully written and directed (it amazes me that Lawrence Kasdan could write a "Star Wars" feature and direct such a wonderful comedy). It's mostly wonderfully acted. Kevin Kline and Tracy Ullman are outstanding, William Hurt is hilarious, and James Gammon was absolutely perfect as the detective. Finally, I'll add that I'm a little perplexed by reviewers who disliked the ending. I thought it was the best possible ending, funny and wonderful. P.S. Believe it or not, IMDb tried to claim that I had "spelling mistakes" in this review because I twice used the word "might've." Evidently IMDb does not understand contractions. I find this quite amazing. -- MKM

Based on a true story, but obviously Hollywood had to take liberties to stretch it out. First, reading other reviews here that Plowright stole the movie, is a bit overboard...it was difficult most of times to make out what she was saying...awful Italian accent, if that was, what it was. Kline went back to his "Wanda" character, only this time with an Italian accent, which wasn't bad...at least I understood what he was saying. Surprising that William Hurt was in such a small role at that time. He was a leading man, and a bigger star than Kline, an Oscar winner at that for a "Kiss FRom Spider woman"..so maybe he did a cameo for the fun of it.

This was a mildly amusing comedy, but with all the talent in this film, it should have been better. The trouble was that every humorous premise was relentlessly hammered home again and again. Finally, there is an unlikely sentimental happy ending which is just too silly to even be comedy.Many situations are clichés which have been done very often before and done better. There are stoned out freaks who confuse everything, a guy who is hard to kill, a second tier Don Juan with the same moth eaten lime for every woman he meets, etc. these all go back decades before this film was made. This would be no problem except that each gag seems overplayed and goes on forever.The best performance was Joan Plowwright. Her fuming intense anger was funny, much more so that Tracy Ullman's irritating hysteria.

My husband and I watch this movie whenever it is on, and laugh out loud every time. This and "War of the Roses" are our all time favorites (and we are very happily married).If you are ever looking for a movie that both men and women can enjoy equally, look no further than this. Kevin is brilliant as ever. (Remember him in "A Fish Called Wanda"? hysterical). He is a true man's man and women adore him (even as the "pig-man" he portrays in this movie). This would make a great Friday night date movie, or a lazy Sunday afternoon (but don't get any ideas from this flick, it is a true story!).