When film buff conversations head into the "How did that movie EVER get made?" territory, 1981's PENNIES FROM HEAVEN is always near the top of my list for discussion.
At times beautiful, funny and very depressing, its the musical for people that thought Scorsese's "New York, New York" was way too happy.
Steve Martin was hugely popular and hot off the box office bonanza "The Jerk" in 1979. He took two years off and decided on this as his next film, pouring his heart, soul and feet into six months of dancing lessons in preparation.
But nothing could prepare audiences for this strange, melancholy film about people during the depression, whose only joy seems to be during fantasies that they are in the popular songs of the day.
The story telling conceit of having all the songs be 100% in the imagination of the characters worked perfectly twenty years later in the film adaption of "Chicago" but was ahead of its time here.
The story parts of the film are sad, bleak and hard edged, with Martin solid as Arthur, a sheet music salesman with a dying marriage to Joan, a thankless and humiliating role for Jessica Harper (Suspiria, Minority Report).
Arthur's got eyes for school teacher Eileen, played by Bernadette Peters.
As the characters sink into sadness, they imagine themselves in songs of the 20's and break out into song. The hardest part to take is that they lip sync to the recordings of the day, which is off putting and never gets any easier.
But, some of the song and dance sequences are visually stunning and the cast and crew stage them like the huge movie musicals of yesteryear.
Some standouts are the title number, with an entire wall of a diner set sliding back as Vernel Bagneris (Ray) slides from his booth onto a huge MGM size set for a solo dance number.
Martin's dance training pays as he hoofs his way with the best of them through several large scale sequences, including one number that echoes "La La Land" many years later with Martin and Peters dancing right onto the movie screen alongside Astaire and Rogers for a long, massive scale sequence that folds into black and white and the action on screen.
Christopher Walken drew most of the buzz upon release for his incredible dance/seduction sequence that showed mad skills developed by years on the stage pre-his "Deer Hunter" breakout.
Director Herbert Ross (Footloose, Funny Lady) and Cinematographer Gordon Willis (The Godfather) designer Ken Adam (The Spy Who Loved Me, Barry Lyndon) and costumes by Bob Mackie are all first class and reflect the $22 million budget.
The movie was a huge bomb in '81, with Martin's fans wondering what the hell they were watching and audiences in general very confused by the massive tone shifts between reality & fantasy.
Watching the film nearly 40 years after it's release, it plays better post-"Chicago" but is still jarring as it jumps back and forth between the despair of its Depression setting and the elaborate flash of its fantasy sequences. With R-rated plot points including murder, sexual humiliation and prostitution, it's not a family friendly dance.
If nothing else, its a visually spectacular, if failed experiment by some very talented people on both sides of the camera.
I'll give it a respectful C+.
But I have to ask again...How did this movie ever get made!??
Kommentare