Man Trouble (1992)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

It is a performances centric movie

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

OK...this movie may not be academy award material, but it does have a quaint little charm to it that makes it an enjoyable little movie. The relationship that builds between Jack Nicholson and Ellen Barkin goes from little more than an intended con job (he's being blackmailed to steal a manuscript for a tell-all book from one of his clients) on the part of Nicholson to something very strong between the two. A strong friendship also develops between Nicholson and the dog he uses as part of his scam. The movies funniest moment stem from Nicholson's frustration over his feelings for Barkin and what he has to do to get the manuscript. Although not widely received by critics and considers a rather large flop, Man Trouble has a sincere charm to it that makes it a gem...as long as you're not a snobby wannabe film critic, i believe if you give the film a chance, you will come to really enjoy it.

With the talent involved here, it should have been a much better film than it is. Music by Georges Delarue, director Bob Rafelson...Basically it's a lightweight romantic comedy which is attempting to emulate classics comedies about a rich girl meets non-rich guy (think Katherine Hepburn) but it just doesn't have the class or punch of earlier classics in this genre.The cheap looking opening credits/cartoon are the first indication that something is amiss here. The first half is quite OK but after that, you just don't care enough about these people to stay with the film. There's something incredibly shallow about all those involved and the 'comedy' is just too obvious...problem animal, hispanic housekeeper, mismatched/deceived couples.I don't think it's until Harry Dean Stanton makes an appearance quite late in the film that you think, aaah, now we've got a movie. But it's all too late.

Despite the fact that this movie has Jack Nicholson, it isn't saved by it. How much I would like to love everything Mr Nicholson does, I just cannot get used to his more "dumb" roles, like in this one, like in Prizzi's Honor and The Fortune. I think I read somewhere that Mr Nicholson is good in comedies in which the situation is funny, not the character he's playing, and I have to say I quite agree with that. I mean, As Good As It Gets is rated a comedy but, oh my god, what a difference with this one.About the film: it's weak. As I said, Mr Nicholson doesn't save it and Ms Barkin is a non-interesting person and completely miscasted for this one: she's not funny, but irritating. Anyway, the plot is weak, the "jokes" are weak and the acting is weak. I cannot even say something about the directing, because I'm not sure whether there was one...I cannot live with myself to rate a movie with Mr Nicholson less than 5 out of 10, so I gave it 5. Without him, it would probably have been 4.

How Nicholson could let himself be talked into this loser is beyond me. I hope that the producer lost whatever he had on Jack 'cause I don't want to see another wreck like this for quite a while.