Comments on: Flirting With Disaster (1996) http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/ Film reviews and commentary tonight, before I forget tomorrow Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:44:44 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Joe Valdez http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3920 Joe Valdez Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:28:24 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3920 Al: The fact that you’re out there reading makes me much more conscientious about which films I endorse. I would hate for a man finishing law school to waste two hours of his life just because I told him <em>Pirates of the Caribbean</em> was pretty good. I can’t have that on my conscience. Alan: I too saw <em>Flirting With Disaster</em> in 1996 and looking back, I think it captures the Sundance/Miramax spirit of independence that was ’90s filmmaking after <em>Pulp Fiction</em> was released, a spirit which has been co-opted this century so far. I hope you enjoy this as much the second time around. Christine: Thanks for commenting! Warning: you might not want to watch this with your mom. There is some adult oriented content involving Patricia Arquette pleasuring her husband while he has their baby in one hand and a puppet in the other and that is within the first five minutes of the feature presentation. Heather: Like Al, you encourage me to think not only conscientiously about what I recommend because I know how few movies you watch, but also globally. I think this film shows that not all American films are commercial extravaganzas, but many are off-beat and actually have something to say about relationships, sex and identity. Dad: The fact that engineers are reading this site makes me feel I need to go take an HTML class or learn to code or something. Thanks for you and your co-workers continued support for my creative endeavors! Moviezzz: I have a laserdisc copy of <em>Dead Man Walking</em> that I purchased in 1998 - back when laserdiscs were a practical way of watching movies - and I still haven’t taken it out of the shrink wrap. You have given me an idea for a future column. “Movies You Need To Get Around To Unwrapping.” Thanks - as always - for your comments. Chuck: I don’t know what <em>I Heart Huckabee’s</em> was either, except for producers who gave Russell too much rope after he made a box office hit. But Flirting With Disaster was a terrific bent on the screwball comedy, while <em>Three Kings</em> subverted the action/war movie supremely well. Jennica: If I can be cynical for a moment, if you work for a major studio, how do you show character-based humor in a 24-second trailer? The suits need the shot of someone tripping over something to sell audiences that a movie is going to be funny. But Russell is a unique voice and I think we’re all better off that he wasn’t interested in any of that shit. Thanks for sharing your screenwriting acumen once again! Jeremy: Patricia Arquette has been one of my favorite actresses of the last decade. One of the biggest mistakes Oliver Stone ever made was casting Meg Ryan as Pamela Morrison in <em>The Doors</em> because she was a big star, in spite of an audition Arquette gave that blew everyone away. Now I can't watch that movie without wanting to digitally scrub Ryan out from the picture. Arquette has thrown herself into so many roles with complete and utter fearlessness. I hope to have something to write about <em>True Romance</em> in the coming weeks. Thanks - as always - for commenting! Al: The fact that you’re out there reading makes me much more conscientious about which films I endorse. I would hate for a man finishing law school to waste two hours of his life just because I told him Pirates of the Caribbean was pretty good. I can’t have that on my conscience.

Alan: I too saw Flirting With Disaster in 1996 and looking back, I think it captures the Sundance/Miramax spirit of independence that was ’90s filmmaking after Pulp Fiction was released, a spirit which has been co-opted this century so far. I hope you enjoy this as much the second time around.

Christine: Thanks for commenting! Warning: you might not want to watch this with your mom. There is some adult oriented content involving Patricia Arquette pleasuring her husband while he has their baby in one hand and a puppet in the other and that is within the first five minutes of the feature presentation.

Heather: Like Al, you encourage me to think not only conscientiously about what I recommend because I know how few movies you watch, but also globally. I think this film shows that not all American films are commercial extravaganzas, but many are off-beat and actually have something to say about relationships, sex and identity.

Dad: The fact that engineers are reading this site makes me feel I need to go take an HTML class or learn to code or something. Thanks for you and your co-workers continued support for my creative endeavors!

Moviezzz: I have a laserdisc copy of Dead Man Walking that I purchased in 1998 – back when laserdiscs were a practical way of watching movies – and I still haven’t taken it out of the shrink wrap. You have given me an idea for a future column. “Movies You Need To Get Around To Unwrapping.” Thanks – as always – for your comments.

Chuck: I don’t know what I Heart Huckabee’s was either, except for producers who gave Russell too much rope after he made a box office hit. But Flirting With Disaster was a terrific bent on the screwball comedy, while Three Kings subverted the action/war movie supremely well.

Jennica: If I can be cynical for a moment, if you work for a major studio, how do you show character-based humor in a 24-second trailer? The suits need the shot of someone tripping over something to sell audiences that a movie is going to be funny. But Russell is a unique voice and I think we’re all better off that he wasn’t interested in any of that shit. Thanks for sharing your screenwriting acumen once again!

Jeremy: Patricia Arquette has been one of my favorite actresses of the last decade. One of the biggest mistakes Oliver Stone ever made was casting Meg Ryan as Pamela Morrison in The Doors because she was a big star, in spite of an audition Arquette gave that blew everyone away. Now I can’t watch that movie without wanting to digitally scrub Ryan out from the picture. Arquette has thrown herself into so many roles with complete and utter fearlessness. I hope to have something to write about True Romance in the coming weeks. Thanks – as always – for commenting!

]]> By: Jeremy http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3916 Jeremy Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:33:11 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3916 This is actually one of my all time favorite comedies. The first time I saw it, I literally went around for weeks after begging people to watch it. I wish all comedies were this smart and human. Key to the success of the film for me is the performance of Patricia Arquette. I think she does such a wonderful and subtle job here playing a woman who is struggling at being a new mother and having to deal with an incredibly neurotic husband. Her line reading in the back of the car about car jacking is one of the funniest things I have ever seen and I often quote it to myself when I am feeling down... I like all of Russell's films...this one might be my favorite. This is actually one of my all time favorite comedies. The first time I saw it, I literally went around for weeks after begging people to watch it. I wish all comedies were this smart and human.
Key to the success of the film for me is the performance of Patricia Arquette. I think she does such a wonderful and subtle job here playing a woman who is struggling at being a new mother and having to deal with an incredibly neurotic husband. Her line reading in the back of the car about car jacking is one of the funniest things I have ever seen and I often quote it to myself when I am feeling down…
I like all of Russell’s films…this one might be my favorite.

]]> By: Jennica http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3910 Jennica Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:21:15 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3910 Oh, this is one of my favourites. It hadn't occurred to me it had flown under the radar for so many people! And I think you nailed what's so good about it: the comedy comes from characters, their quirks, their agendas... yet the absurdity of these characters feels grounded in the real, rather than cartoonish. I wish more comedies these days found this tonal ground. Oh, this is one of my favourites. It hadn’t occurred to me it had flown under the radar for so many people! And I think you nailed what’s so good about it: the comedy comes from characters, their quirks, their agendas… yet the absurdity of these characters feels grounded in the real, rather than cartoonish. I wish more comedies these days found this tonal ground.

]]> By: Chuck http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3903 Chuck Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:18:22 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3903 Flirting with Disaster is my favorite film of David O. Russell's in that it seems the least interested in being good for you. Three Kings needs a messier third act, and I Heart Huckabess? I don't know, something about it didn't quite work for me, I want, really want to like it, and I like large passages of it, but it ultimately doesn't come together for me. I think he and Alexander Payne are the Fathers of Comedy to emerge in the 1990s, and I hope he gets to work again soon though. Nearly forgot Spanking the Monkey, which I really enjoyed. Flirting with Disaster is my favorite film of David O. Russell’s in that it seems the least interested in being good for you. Three Kings needs a messier third act, and I Heart Huckabess? I don’t know, something about it didn’t quite work for me, I want, really want to like it, and I like large passages of it, but it ultimately doesn’t come together for me. I think he and Alexander Payne are the Fathers of Comedy to emerge in the 1990s, and I hope he gets to work again soon though.

Nearly forgot Spanking the Monkey, which I really enjoyed.

]]> By: Moviezzz http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3892 Moviezzz Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:08:00 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3892 I liked this one theatrically, owned it on laserdisc, but have yet to watch it a second time. Great review. I liked this one theatrically, owned it on laserdisc, but have yet to watch it a second time.

Great review.

]]> By: Joseph R. Valdez http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3891 Joseph R. Valdez Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:21:09 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3891 For selfish and informative personal reasons as well as supporting your continued sucess, this annnouncment wishes you my continued full-time support as a full-time movie editor. With the depth of knowledge and understanding you possess in the marriage of both areas, the fit would seem as natural as "The Natural's" glove. On behalf of the Electrical Engineering staff at Jacobs Engineering, even through the eyes of an untrained novice, from the quality and volume of your work it must surely be obvious you are the man for that assigment. Good luck. For selfish and informative personal reasons as well as supporting your continued sucess, this annnouncment wishes you my continued full-time support as a full-time movie editor. With the depth of knowledge and understanding you possess in the marriage of both areas, the fit would seem as natural as “The Natural’s” glove.
On behalf of the Electrical Engineering staff at
Jacobs Engineering, even through the eyes of an untrained novice, from the quality and volume of your work it must surely be obvious
you are the man for that assigment. Good luck.

]]> By: Heather http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3888 Heather Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:30:09 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3888 I have too much work and not enough free time, so I am really grateful for the detailed and socially-contextualized reviews here at "This Distracted Globe." I love to use "This Distracted Globe" to help me choose what to see in my limited free time. Without it, I would be lost and maybe run the risk of either viewing really bad stuff (and getting turned off from watching anything ever again) or not appreciating some things that are set in their social and film context so well here. So, thanks a lot for the help with making the most of my distracted life on this distracted globe. All the best from Germany, Heather I have too much work and not enough free time, so I am really grateful for the detailed and socially-contextualized reviews here at “This Distracted Globe.” I love to use “This Distracted Globe” to help me choose what to see in my limited free time. Without it, I would be lost and maybe run the risk of either viewing really bad stuff (and getting turned off from watching anything ever again) or not appreciating some things that are set in their social and film context so well here.
So, thanks a lot for the help with making the most of my distracted life on this distracted globe.
All the best from Germany, Heather

]]> By: Christine http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3887 Christine Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:29:33 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3887 Joe, I had lost my appetite for Ben Stiller, but your review actually convinced me to see this film! Joe, I had lost my appetite for Ben Stiller, but your review actually convinced me to see this film!

]]> By: Burbanked http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3886 Burbanked Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:57:27 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3886 I've thought about this movie a number of times since seeing it - once - way back whenever. Every so often I'll try to remember, without much success, whether I liked it or not. Sounds like maybe it's worth another spin, and knowing - now - that Russell directed puts it into a different category as well. I’ve thought about this movie a number of times since seeing it – once – way back whenever. Every so often I’ll try to remember, without much success, whether I liked it or not. Sounds like maybe it’s worth another spin, and knowing – now – that Russell directed puts it into a different category as well.

]]> By: al http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/comment-page-1/#comment-3885 al Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:49:30 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/02/15/flirting-with-disaster-1996/#comment-3885 Great review, Joe. Here's yet another movie you've encouraged me to check out. Thanks for that. Great review, Joe. Here’s yet another movie you’ve encouraged me to check out. Thanks for that.

]]>