Two Much

A very pleasant romantic comedy plenty of humor , emotion , fun scenes and mayhem . Oscarized director Fernando Trueba , also writes the interesting and bemusing script along with prestigious screenwriter/director as well as brother David Trueba .This bewildering farce deals with a young gallerist (Antonio Banderas , he gives entertaining performance , though he fights to surmount by overacting) is in love with two sisters at the same time . As a fabulously wealthy divorcée (Melanie Griffith) to a mobster (Danny Aiello) and her sister , an intelligent , sensible woman (Daryl Hanna) , then Art falls in love with the younger one . In order to solve the problem he decides to invent his own twin-brother called Dart . Two many women , so little time.

Earthy as well screwball comedy with romantic elements , antics , amusements , contrivances , twists and turns ; including engaging performances , adequate set design and being delightfully filmed . ¨Two much¨ results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with romantic loves , being developed in mirth , lively and vital style . An enjoyable story in which a rogue con swindles abstract pictures selling to deceased people and discovers the opposite sex on the way by means of two attractive sisters , both of whom utterly different ; it is plenty of twisted moments , moving feelings and fun finale . It is a light , wistful romantic comedy , easy to watch , and easier to love . ¨Two much" is Trueba's return to top form, with an intelligent and enticing script written by Fernando and his brother David Trueba adapted from a Donald Westlake novel ; screen-writers use amusing situations to give us a good movie in a high sense and intimate sensitivity and that kept me entertained for the almost two hours of duration . It is well set and is as marvelously filmed as it is written and acted . This is one of those rare gems that does not stray from its purpose - to be a celebration of love and romance and humorous tale of a young controlled by his wishes . The film is light and never somber , no small accomplishment from Fernando Trueba and his team . Filmed in his usual formal and luxurious style , without leaving a trace the joyful themes , in terms of nice developing and narrative excitement . Fine acting by Antonio Banderas as Art Dodge , a roguish Miami art dealer and his twin brother Dart , as he pretends to be his own brother in order to pursue his new fiancée . Sympathetic acting by Melanie Griffith as Betty Kerner who thinks he'll make a virile third husband . In the film, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith leave each other at the wedding altar for other people . However, in real life, the two actors fell in love during filming of this movie in 1995 and married a year later and soon became parents to their daughter Stella. Very good support cast formed by prestigious veterans such as Austin Pendleton , Allan Rich , Vincent Schiavelli , Phil Leeds , Sid Raymond and special mention to the great Elli Wallach who recently passed away . Furthermore , some known Spanish secondaries such as Gabino Diego and Santiago Segura . Colorful and glimmer cinematography in Panavision by Jose Luis Alcaine , one of the best Spanish cameramen , including gorgeous exteriors filmed on location in Miami . Jolly as well as lively musical score by Michael Camilo in Cuban style .

This simple , attractive and delightful motion picture was well directed by Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba , as the flick is entertaining and well worth your time . His first success was Ópera Prima (1980) following the style of the "Madrid comedy". Trueba had major success with Sé Infiel y No mires Quién (1985) also known as : Be Wanton and Tread No Shame , starting a longer collaboration with the producer Andrés Vicente Gómez . He went on directing numerous successes such as Coarse salt , Year of Enlightment , Milagro de Candeal , Niña De Tus Ojos or The Girl of Your Dreams , Calle 54 , Embrujo De Shanghai , Chico and Rita and recently : The Artist and the Model. The multi-award winner in Spain Fernando Trueba was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and he received the 1994 Oscar for Best Foreign Film to Belle Epoque (1992)and when accepting his Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, director (Fernando Trueba) said: "I would like to believe in God in order to thank him for this prize, but I only believe in (Billy Wilder), so... Thank you, Mr. Wilder!". Wilder himself reportedly phoned Trueba a few days later for acknowledgment and told him: "Hello Fernando, I'm God" . And this ¨Two much¨ , it was a big success in Spain and a considerable flop in the US .

*The cast:

• Antonio Banderas : Art / Bart Dodge

• Daryl Hannah: Liz Kerner

• Melanie Griffith: Betty

• Joan Cusack: Gloria

• Eli Wallach: Sheldon

*The story:

Art Dodge is an art swindler. He looks at the death announcements in the papers. At the day of the funeral, thên he goes to the family and says that the dead person had bought a painting of him a few weeks before he died. At that moment, he meets Betty a rich woman who divorced the same man twice.

They fall in love with each other, but love becomes complicated when Art meets Betty's sister... he is deeply in love with her too. So he decides to transform himself in Bart (his twin brother) and then you get some humoristic moments, which aren't very funny at some moments.

Sheldon is the father of Art. Joan Cusack is the employee of Art.

An interesting note is that Melanie and Antonio fall in love on the set, and they married and had 1 child, Stella Banderas.

*Appreciation: This film is too confusing and although Daryl Hannah played her part wonderfully, the film has something of a disaster. Although the actors did their best to make a comedy. A catastrophe occurred

But don't forget that alL these actors had done some wonderful acting. Some examples; Melanie Griffith: Cecil B. Demented -- Daryl Hannah: Steel Magnolias -- Antonio Banderas: Philadelphia and Eli Wallach: the Misfits.

Sadly they made this time a wrong choice...

Mostly I like the movies that I saw and on the whole I give good comments about them. But this time I can only say that this film was a big disappointment and I hoped that it would have finished quickly. However I didn't lose my faith in the actors because it was just the wrong script that didn't work.

Rating: 5,5 /10

Donald Westlake deserves much better than this adaptation that Fernando Trueba and his brother David did to the book. Mr. Westlake, together with Elmore Leonard, are two of the best writers of the genre. It appears that either the adapters lost something in translation, or maybe the studio didn't let the Truebas get what they wanted to do.

The casting of Antonio Banderas in the dual role of Art/Bart presents problems because he is a quintessential Latin man, who is supposed to be a small con artist working in Florida; his accent doesn't solve this problem either. We don't believe for a moment he is this "artful dodger", let alone Art Dodge. Mr. Banderas has done better, but not here. The best sequence in the film involves Art/Bart shuttling between Liz and Betty's separate rooms, where the actor gets all the laughs.

Daryl Hannah, who plays Liz, fares better, although it's hard to imagine this brainy woman could fall for this small time con artist. Melanie Griffith doesn't have much to do, and we can be thankful for a performance where all her mannerisms are not shown. The best thing in the film is Joan Cusack, who is seen as Gloria, the art gallery assistant who steals the show from the principals. There is also a delightfully funny appearance by the late Vincent Schiavelli, who is seen as a finicky sommelier at a tony restaurant. (We kept thinking how could Art/Bart pick up the check on the two occasions when he takes Betty, first, and then Liz, to that expensive place, as he can't even pay his other bills...) In some minor roles we see Eli Wallach, Danny Aiello, and Austin Pendleton, among others.

The best thing in the film is the musical sound track by the talented Michel Camilo, who had already collaborated with Mr. Trueba in "Calle 54". He is seen at the end of the picture playing with some Latin jazz giants like Paquito D'Rivera and Cachao. One kept hoping they would have been seen more in the film.

A great adaptation of one of Donald Westlake's sad-sack comedies, in this case about Antonio Banderas, an unsuccessful art gallery owner who ekes out his income by a variation on the Bible Salesman scam. He winds up engaged to a funny, screeching Melanie Griffith, in lust with her sister -- and Melanie's gangster ex-husband is after him.

This won't be to everyone's taste: Westlake's humor is a lot like Tim Burton's and it's a shame Burton has never tried his hand at one of Westlake's novels. None of the screen adaptations of his works have served him well, although the hard-to-find HOT STUFF, from his own script works well.

But this is about as good as it gets, with a perfect supporting cast, including Eli Wallach, Darryl Hanna, Danny Aiello and the woman who can make you laugh while she's having a nervous breakdown: Joan Cusack. Give this a try. And if you know Tim Burton, suggest he try a Dortmunder novel or two.

After winning a Best Foreign Film Oscar for "Belle Epoque", Fernando Trueba's follow up was this comedy starring Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. It was not the first time that Trueba had directed a picture in English with English-speaking actors ("El sueño del mono loco" starring Miranda Richardson and Jeff Goldblum was a critical success) but "Two much" seems to have gone out of his hands.

It might have looked good in the script, a comedy that captures the essence of the comedies from the 50's, but the eventual result is quite disappointing. The three leading actors (Banderas, Griffith and Daryl Hannah) have been much better almost elsewhere, and some of the jokes and gags are kind of cheesy. However, a superb supporting cast helps to save the show. Joan Cusack is a delight to watch in a role Thelma Ritter would have done a few decades before. Danny Aiello does as much as he can with his clichéd character, and Elli Wallach is also excellent, but his role is little more than a glorified cameo.

If you like Dean Martin comedies you might appreciate the effort of resurrecting these kind of comedies, but don't expect the result to be anywhere near those classics. If you are looking for a few laughs and an acceptably amusing comedy, then you might not be disappointed.