Surrender

If you've seen Intolerable Cruelty, you've already got a pretty good idea about this movie, which achingly examines the possibility of true love triumphing over mere greed.

Sally Field is a low income artist who is just looking for a real romance, not finding much satisfaction in her relationship with Martin (Guttenburg) a self centered lawyer. What a coincidence that Shuan Stein (Caine), a wealthy writer who have written over much of his fortune to gold digging ex-lovers, should be looking for the same thing. With a few moments of good timing, the two find each other. But, Shuan Stein secretly tests his girlfriend's loyatly by hiding information about his wealth, posing instead as a poor, out-of-work writer madly in love with her. And this is where the story is enjoyable, as Sally Field and Michael Caine charm the audience as conveniently matched romantics.

But, the story becomes a drag once the movie gets into seemingly endless bickering among the characters over matters of money when Martin asks Daisy to marry him and when Daisy (as you should expect) will discover Stein's secret. At that point, everything becomes talk about money, money, money and each character (except for maybe Martin who never seems to have a clue about what's going on) doubting if true love really exists. And as a result, the sweet love story we once enjoyed among Daisy and Martin in the first half is never recovered.

As a romantic comedy, it is a tolerably sweet and funny movie, for the first half. But, I think it ran out of steam as characters never quite seem to retain or even redevelop the charm that they had in the beginning, even after they've resolved their problems.

This is a good show by Sally Field (this is just her kind of part...kind of Murphy's Romance styled) and Michael Caine as the sweet English chap. As for Steve Guttenberg, I only didn't like him because his character was such a creep.

I've scoured the internet trying to find this on DVD. The chemistry between Michael Caine and Sally Field is outstanding. I don't know if the following line would be called a spoiler....I don't think so I just think of it as one of many funny incidents that happen in this flick. It is the scene where they are tied up together (naked) so funny. Steve Guttenberg as a spoiled rich guy is funny as well. I can't believe this movie hasn't been done on DVD. I've seen so many movies that shouldn't be on DVD. This movie is so much better than those. I believe if given the chance this movie would do well on DVD. If I can't get it that way, I may get desperate enough to get the VHS version...hope it doesn't come down to that. Whoever you DVD gods are, I hope you do this one SOON!

Successful writer Sean Stein (Michael Caine) had been taken to the cleaners over and over again. First, he let his wife win due to his guilt about his mistress. Next, he's giving up another half to the mistress. He even gets robbed by a hooker. Now, he's gunshy with women. He's moving to Kuwait where women can't vote. Daisy Morgan (Sally Field) is a frustrated artist forced to mass produce hotel room paintings. She's stuck dating unscrupulous lawyer Marty (Steve Guttenberg) who refuses to commit. Both Sean and Daisy happen to be at a large fundraiser when robbers break in and strip everyone naked. Sean and Daisy are forced tied together.

I remember the elevator scene. I think I remember a few other scenes. It may be from the trailer. More likely, I saw the movie and forgot it. There's a reason to forget this. I don't like Sean and this movie is bothersome. I do like everybody initially. Sally Field is always adorable. Michael Caine can be very fun but when he starts pursuing Daisy, he becomes a stalker and a bit creepy. He needs to hit the cute button rather than the creepy button. The meet-cute is pretty cute but it goes downhill from there. The money issue keeps interfering with the rom-com. The basic premise is problematic for its romance and its comedy. It's in the movie's genes. I'm sure that Jerry Belson thinks that this is funny for all those divorced guys out there but I'm not sure that it's funny for anyone else.

Michael Caine stars in Surrender as a successful novelist with bad luck with women. He's been divorced and taken to the cleaners too many times, and he vows he'll never get involved again. Obviously, he does, but why does he weaken if he's so adamant? Because he's literally held at gunpoint and tied to a naked woman. The film has a bit of a bizarre sense of humor, but once you get on its wavelength, it's very funny. Obviously, that situation would never happen. But it would take something so absurd to get Michael to forget his self-imposed female ban.

Sally Field (the naked lady) has her own absurd background: she always picks the wrong guys, and her current boyfriend, Steve Guttenberg, has been kidnapped in South America. She works at a "mass landscape painting factory", which is actually really interesting. But, keep in mind, it's a bit wacky. Sally vacillates between being strong and being a total pushover, but you've got to just roll with her. Overall, it's a cute movie; and every once in a while, something will make you laugh so hard, you'll need to press pause and clutch your belly.

I'll leave you with this: Michael believes he's found "The One" - again. He balks against making Sally sign a prenuptial agreement, but his lawyer and friend Peter Boyle insists. Michael maintains they're unromantic. "So are rubbers, but they work," Peter fires back. Crude? Don't watch this movie. Hilarious? Buy a copy.

Michael Caine is always worth watching, and Sally Field is at her most attractive here, but this romantic comedy is just very mild and weightless (and I mean it in a negative way). It's occasionally enjoyable, though.