Year of Release: 1990
Director: Alan Rudolph
Starring: Tom Berenger, Elizabeth Perkins, Anne Archer, Kate Capshaw, Annette O'Toole, Ted Levine, Ann Magnuson, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ruby Dee, Barry Miller, Neil Young, Gailard Sartain, Robert Gould
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:
The underrated Alan Rudolph followed his well received "The Moderns" from 1988, with yet another of his offbeat films, that mixed comedy, noir elements and some drama in between. The film follows the story of Harry Dobbs, a private investigator, who gets a case from a beautiful woman by the name of Ms. Dolan, who believes her lover is planning to kill her. Harry however ends up following the wrong man, who is indeed having marital ties with two women, without them knowing it. Harry meets these two women, both of whom have very different responses and views on how their lives are taking place. Simultaneously, Harry finds out he's being followed by a private investigator, Stella Wynkowski, who has been hired by his own girlfriend. Harry ends up falling for Stella, however things take a different turn, when Ms. Dolan disappears, forcing Harry and Stella to work together to find her whereabouts.
Alan Rudolph is a director who has a very interesting and compelling body of work, something most audiences these days probably aren't very familiar with. A former protégé of Robert Altman, Alan Rudolph made a name for himself in the 80s with the very well received "Choose Me" and "Trouble in Mind". His films are always a collective endeavor, featuring great casts, where the tone of the narrative is somewhat fluid, but always has traces of noir, music, comedy and drama. "Love at Large" is one of those examples. The film never really reveals when it takes place, yet somehow feels like a mix of classic 40s/50s and a modern vibe. It has noir elements, but also comedic elements, that make it flow almost effortlessly. A lot of this charm relies on the talented cast Rudolph amassed, namely Anne Archer, Elizabeth Perkins, Tom Berenger, Ted Levine, Kate Capshaw, among many others, who truly make the banter and the proceedings lively and entertaining. There's a general sense of homage to the classics from Howard Hawks, but in a breezy tone, that makes this film worth watching. The cinematography from Elliot Davis is beautiful as is the score of the underrated Mark Isham. A film worth watching and revisiting from an interesting director.
Alan Rudolph is a director who has a very interesting and compelling body of work, something most audiences these days probably aren't very familiar with. A former protégé of Robert Altman, Alan Rudolph made a name for himself in the 80s with the very well received "Choose Me" and "Trouble in Mind". His films are always a collective endeavor, featuring great casts, where the tone of the narrative is somewhat fluid, but always has traces of noir, music, comedy and drama. "Love at Large" is one of those examples. The film never really reveals when it takes place, yet somehow feels like a mix of classic 40s/50s and a modern vibe. It has noir elements, but also comedic elements, that make it flow almost effortlessly. A lot of this charm relies on the talented cast Rudolph amassed, namely Anne Archer, Elizabeth Perkins, Tom Berenger, Ted Levine, Kate Capshaw, among many others, who truly make the banter and the proceedings lively and entertaining. There's a general sense of homage to the classics from Howard Hawks, but in a breezy tone, that makes this film worth watching. The cinematography from Elliot Davis is beautiful as is the score of the underrated Mark Isham. A film worth watching and revisiting from an interesting director.
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