Search - Frankie & Johnny on DVD

The Movie Is Better The Second Time Around

H. F. Corbin | ATLANTA, GA USA | 07/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thre are a lot of things to like about this movie. The supporting actors to a person are perfectly cast. It's hard not to believe that the director just took over a Greek greasy spoon in New York and used its employees. You can literally smell the grease as the short-order cooks scramble the eggs and bacon. And you can feel the loneliness in the pit of your stomach as these characters go home to their less-than-fine apartments. They are the people Barbara Ehrenreich writes about in NICKEL AND DIMED. Robert Frost would say they have nothing to look backward to with pride and nothing to look forward to with hope. Paul McCartney would call them Eleanor Rigby. Many of them will never rise about their minimum wage-plus tips jobs; yet they show a resilence and endurance and manage to find laughter in their dismal jobs that is heart-warming.

This film has as good a portrayal of gay characters as you are likely to see. Terrence McNally has created here two, believable, likeable gay men who act like real people. There is a quite funny scene when Al Pacino meets the gay couple for the first time and makes all the usual mistakes though well-intentioned-- he didn't realize, you would never know, he just found out that his cousin is gay-- to which Nathan Lane quips that he will check the cousin out in the new listings.

This movie says that a short-order cook (Al Pacino) recently released from prison can find happiness with a waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) with broken dreams. That may be a tall challenge, but most of us would like to believe in that possibility. It's all about starting over, taking a chance, tearing down the walls that separate most of us from each other and taking a chance on love.

Michelle Pfeiffer cleans up well and is almost too pretty to be a down-and-out waitress. But then, nobody's perfect."

Pfeiffer and Pacino

Thayer | 05/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the lesser known and appreciated screen gems of the 90's. It's a superior romantic-comedy-drama which stars screen legend Al Pacino and screen goddess Michelle Pfeiffer. The movie is so much more about the love story. It is a very perceptive movie about people who are lonely and people who are trapped into their own lives. The movie has an achingly melancholic mood.

The casting of Michelle Pfeiffer was controversial at that time because the original role on Broadway was played by Kathy Bates and a lot of people think Pfeiffer was too beautiful for the role. Bates reportedly laughed when she learned hat Pfeiffer got the role. Granted that the reason Pfeifer probably got the role was because at that time she was at the height of her popularity, she was the "it" girl then. But Pfeiffer was phenomenal and proved that she deserved the part. Her beauty was toned down to make her look as ordinary as possible. The character she played has so much depth and layer that is pretty uncommon for films generally regarded as romance films.

Pacino of course was good, this is his and Pfeiffer's second team up after Scarface of course I love the fact that he played the role with such ease and charm which is a lot different from his more serious roles before. The supporting actors Nathan Lane and Kate Nelligan stole some scenes

Of all the movies of Pfeiffer this is one of my all time favorites together with Fabulous Baker Boys, Married to the Mob, One Fine Day, and Batman Returns to name a few. I whole-heartedly recommend this film.

Grade: A-"

A Must-see movie with Passion and Romance!

Thayer | 09/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer have wonderful chemistry! Pacino plays Johnny, an ex con who just happens to have gotten out of jail. Pfeiffer plays Frankie, a waitress with a really bad romantic history. Johnny meets Frankie when he applies for the short-order cook position at the diner, owned and run by Hector Elizondo's character. Instantly, he has a crush on her but Frankie rebuffs his advances. The two have remarkable chemistry...and there are some funny scenes that will make you laugh as well."

My favorite of all time.

M. Dalrymple-Lepore | Philadelphia, PA United States | 01/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie means so much to me. The script, the acting, the directing-- it all comes together with a great story to offer up some really amazing moments. It captures the intrinsic quality of loneliness, the fear of being close to someone, the courage to be true to yourself. Al Pacino's character is almost creepy, and the elegant Michelle Pfeiffer is, believe it or not, downright dowdy. Even on the fifth viewing, I found myself feeling embarassed (alone in the room), my heart aching, and my idealism & hope returned to me.For those of you who want a storyline: Al Pacino is an ex-con on his first post-prison employment. Michelle Pfeiffer is the main character, a waitress who catches his eye, and he persues her. But he's kind of creepy, and she has that post heartbreak love of being alone, so she rejects him. And so he persues her more, showing more of his creepy touchy-feely idealistic self, and a bunch of stuff happens, and they live happily ever after. It is a romantic drama, after all. Many funny moments, and an excellent cast-- early classic work for Nathan Lane in here as well."