ÒSheÕs So LovelyÓ is a bizarre, twisted piece of filmmaking.
Robin Wright Penn plays Maureen, a hopelessly devoted wife a la Jennifer Jason Leigh in ÒKansas City.Ó Sean Penn plays Eddie, her husband, a self-destructive lunatic a la Nicolas Cage in ÒLeaving Las Vegas.Ó And John Travolta plays Joey, MaureenÕs other husband, a character that knows no comparison.
We first meet Maureen at home, complaining about not seeing Eddie for three days, and then going to the neighborhood bar and getting hammered. Then she goes home with another guy, who not only sleeps with her, but beats her up, as well.
The first half hour of the movie is devoted to developing the Maureen and Eddie characters, which I have conveniently described above. Then, when Maureen is afraid that Eddie is going to kill someone in retaliation for her bruises, she calls for help, and when the help goes to collect Eddie, he actually does shoot someone.
Eddie is taken to a mental institution, and the movie shoots forward ten years.
When Eddie gets out, his concept of time is completely gone, and his violent edge is gone. But, he is still totally nuts.
Despite JoeyÕs (MaureenÕs new husband) bold objections, Maureen canÕt hold back her feelings for Eddie. So, Eddie comes to dinner with the new couple, to Òsettle things.Ó I wonÕt give away the ending, although the outcome of the film scarcely matters.
The best part of this film is supposed to be the intricate character development, but the script fails to explain enough things that this doesnÕt quite work. For instance, when Eddie returns at the beginning of the film, we know heÕs been gone, and we know that Maureen welcomes him with open arms, but we donÕt know where he went, or even where he usually goes.
Maureen is never given much of an identity, except for her devotion to Eddie, and her accident-prone nature. They both drink too much, and that is the extent of their on-screen lives.
Later on, Joey is nothing more than a vehicle for Maureen and Eddie to finish the story. Travolta manages to make more of the character than the script would have it, but it still leaves the film a little empty.
Whatever the lackings, though, ÒSheÕs So LovelyÓ is always interesting. Like I said earlier, itÕs bizarre, but it is not at all predictable, and always keeps following tangents in the least likely directions.
And, of course, the three lead actors are some of the best in the business. Sean Penn has been busier directing than acting these days, but many people, critics and fans alike, think he is the best actor alive. This isnÕt a role for such a distinction, but heÕs constantly entertaining.
Robin Wright Penn plays her character to the hilt, although it often falls prey to stereotype. As I watched the film, I always thought of this character as similar to someone from some other movie, and never as an entity of its own.
Travolta simply doesnÕt get enough time to shine. The movie would have been best off chopping fifteen minutes off the first half and giving more time to the new marriage, and the obvious problems that arise from Eddie getting out of the institution. Also beneficial might be a focus on what happens after the movie, in this version, ends.
Initially, ÒSheÕs So LovelyÓ seems visionary, but later seems too caught up in its vision to be entertaining or effective. The film is supposedly based on a ÒfableÓ instead of a more traditional story, but if a lesson was readily apparent, I clearly missed it.
Grade: D+