Naked in New York (1994)

Waste of time

good back-story, and good acting

Crappy film

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Eric Stoltz and Mary Louise Parker don't go for the big laughs, they do go for the little ironies that bring big smiles. This is kind of Neil Simonesque at its best, which is most of the time. It is about a young writer getting his work produced as an off-Broadway play for the first time. Everybody is good, but for me Kathleen Turner as the very insecure star seducing the talented young writer is the highlight. It is kind of a low rent version of Bettie Davis in All about Eve, but Turner makes it believable that she would be willing to sleep with the author to get the part. The other highlight is Tony Curtis as the cynical producer taking a chance on the young playwright. He was 68 years old here, but he looks ten years younger and really seems to be enjoying the work. After his T.V. series Vegas ended in 1981, Curtis really didn't get much work. He only had about three or four good parts in good films the last 25 years of his life, which is quite sad. Curtis describes the play by the lead character as having problems and not being very funny, but he does note that it has a certain honesty about it. That could be said about this movie. What it lacks in drama, it makes up for in honesty and sincerity.

I'm just surprised by this film.While the film was interesting enough to keep me watching, and simply flooded with star talent in terms of actors and people playing themselves, it never really comes together. Even Scorsese is involved, but you can't tell.Is it a comedy? Is it a coming-of-age tale? Is it a love triangle/tree/whatever? Is it experimental? Somehow it fails at everything.I never really cared for any of the characters, and most of the effects seemed completely pointless. It's as if someone made a movie, and everyone agreed to do it for free, and behaved like they were unwilling participants. I wonder how much better it would have been if they had an independent cast, and spent the money on, say, a director.I do give it a generous 6/10, because there is an interesting story in there. And for spotting all the stars and personalities we know and love. And of course "the kiss".

"Naked in New York", is an indie film that is not seen much these days. In a way, its star, Eric Stolz is to be congratulated by his support to this kind of films. As directed by Daniel Algrent, and based on the material written by the director and John Warren, it shows it had a potential that somehow doesn't quite make the viewer root for these characters.At the center, Jake and Joanne. They seem to be an ideal couple. Not only are they attractive, but they appear to have their marriage under control, that is, until outside influences come their way and in a way try to derail it. Jake is an aspiring playwright and Joanne a photographer. Joanne makes it first when a gallery owner shows interest in her work and in her. Jake, helped by his college friend, Chris, gets one of his plays accepted for a Off-Broadway production.The separation of Jake from Joanne, plays heavily into their relationship. Jake suspects Elliott Price's motives when he makes Joanne his assistant. At the same time, Jake meets more than he bargained for in the theatrical world of New York, where he finds a fauna and flora he didn't count on.Eric Stolz and Mary Louise Parker make a good couple. Ralph Macchio is the gay friend who's secretly in love with Jake. Jill Clayburgh, Timothy Dalton and Tony Curtis are seen also. Kathleen Turner is excellent as the older theater diva who is instrumental in having Jake's play produced because she is in it.This was a good effort by all of the people involved.

Overall I didn't think this movie was very good at all; the plot dragged on, the lead was SO irritating and it had nudity in that just ruined it entirely. At times, you just didn't know what was going on at all.The best bit in the whole thing was Ralph Macchio. In one of his best performances ever, he has completely changed from the adorable Karate Kid (with the exception that he still looks about 15). His speech at the end of the movie was just great, like the short movie clip that they show about the nominees at the Oscars. The kiss was a bit cheesy but hey, the rest of the plot had already gone to bananas.I give this movie 4 out of 10, and all of those points are for Ralph and Ralph alone.