Blame It on Rio

Stanley Donen directed many wonderful films from 1949 through the 1960s. But his career became very scattershot after the production code fell, and his big screen career came to a lamentable end with Blame It on Rio (1984). Although he later directed a nice little TV movie for ABC in 1999

The film is billed as a comedy, but its grim. Michael Caine stars as a man in the midst of a midlife crisis who, perhaps under the spell of a trip to sultry Rio, embarks on a brief affair with the nymphet daughter (Michelle Johnson) of his best friend (Joseph Bologna). The actors look embarrassed and stricken (this extends to Valerie Harper and Demi Moore as well), the script isn't funny (no laughs in this film, only one gag that produced a tiny smirk), the photography is flat, and the end result is very dour and unappealing.

But the worst mistake of all in the film is including a luscious black-and-white clip of the wing walking "Rio by the Sea-o" production number from 1933's Flying Down to Rio. The brief scene shows the studio system at its height, with true wonder and fascination. It leaves one lamenting the film around the clip all the more.

I saw this movie when it first came out. The theater was in a small town and there was nothing else to do that night so we went to the movie thinking it would be crap. Instead, I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my seat. I've loved the movie ever since.

Everyone knows the premise---Michael Caine and Joseph Bologna take their teenage daughters, Michelle Johnson and Demi Moore to Rio for a vacation. Caine's marriage is in trouble and his wife is vacationing somewhere else. They're barely settled into the home they're renting when Johnson aggressively pursues Caine and he quickly succumbs (like any man would!). Caine is guilt-ridden but cannot resist Michelle's considerable charms. Her father finds out about the affair and goes nuts trying to find out who her lover is. He enlists Caine in his search and many hilarious scenes ensue.

The setting for this movie is just gorgeous and the women are even more beautiful. This was Michelle Johnson's first movie and it shows but she does project a sweet sincerity and her va-va-voom body more than makes up for any performance shortcomings. Zowie! Catch the scene where the fathers find their daughters topless at the beach---this was well before Demi Moore had some "enhancements" later in her life and it is painfully obvious that she's extremely embarrassed by doing the topless scene. Michelle is a trouper though, lucky for us!

The ultimate reason to see this movie though is Michael Caine. He is extremely funny in this movie and I can only imagine how much fun he had making it----a guy in his 40s getting to spend a few weeks in one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the world and having all these love scenes with a girl half his age and getting paid to do it!!! Caine has made a lot of schlocky movies, for sure, but in an interview once he said that no matter how dumb the movie was or how cheaply it was done, he would try to give the best performance he could so even if the rest of the movie was crap, the viewer could at least appreciate that Caine did a good job. That dedication to his craft is what lifts what should've been a "C-" movie like "Rio" into a "B" "B-" movie instead and when he's in really good material, makes it unforgettable.

This is a fun light-hearted comedy, with magnificent views of Brazil and subtle comic performances. It captures that early eighties feel well. And broaches the subject of a teenage temptress more honestly than the recent version of Lolita.

I can only think that this movie was out of time. probably from a gentler age, but it still hits the mark with me, even watching it now.

This film couldn't have been made at any other period of time than that tumultuous, garishly colored, love affair with dubious, cheesy excess known as the 1980's. At any other period of time, this movie would simply be overlooked as a horrid piece of meaningless crap. But not in the 80's, oh no. As a fine work of pure cheese, in the decade of cheese, this film is a sort of masterwork. Everything about this film is total cheese: the acting, the writing, the directing, and cheesiest of all, the music. Has a movie ever had a more grating theme than this movie? It even trumps "I Had The Time Of My Life" and "She's Like The Wind" from Dirty Dancing, which is no small accomplishment. And not only that, but the song is repeated several times throughout the movie. And oh, what else is there? Michael Caine's horrible hair, enormous glasses, and that whacky blue underwear he wears. And Joseph Bologna's insane overacting! Demi Moore's insane attempts at acting! And Michelle Johnson's ample nudity, ample bosom, and insane attempts at being seductive! One could charitably call this film an awkward misfire, but if you're up for it, it's a fine helping of cheese, and a good reminder that as bad as movies can be now, the 80's were the true decade of crap! Crap would never again be as hilariously crappy as it was in the 1980's, and Blame It On Rio is the king of 80's crap!

Now let me start by saying I love a good movie! I love a great script, engaging characters and brilliant cinematography.

***This movie has none of these things!

But it does have the type of storyline and pointless nudity that Hollywood seems unwilling to include in a mainstream film. This is one of those movies that was on HBO late at night when I was a kid and I loved it.

There's something to great nudity! We just don't celebrate it enough anymore! Plus Demi Moore pre-implants!