Only You (DVD)

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Released in 1994, Only You was billed as the new "Sleepless in Seattle"; sadly it never quite lived up to its billing. To be honest, it is not a bad film as romantic-comedies go, and in some ways harks back to the golden era of Hollywood with many similarities to cinematic greats such as "An Affair to Remember" and "Roman Holiday". But the thing which lets this film down is the lack of any real chemistry between ...
...film so good. It's not only his natural sense of comic timing which makes his performance special, but also his ability to display emotion without over acting. Sadly, the scenes between the two of them lacks any real chemistry and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there was some form of bad feeling between them. The only other really significant performance comes from Bonnie Hunt (Return to Me), who seems to have made a niche for herself, by playing ... more

Since childhood, Faith (Marisa Tomei) has known the name of her soul mate and the man she wants to marry. After playing with an Ouija board with her brother, she was mysteriously given the name of her destiny, Damon Bradley. Then several years later, an encounter with a gypsy fortune teller reinforced what the Ouija board had told her.

Now, all grown up, and about to get married to a pediatrician, who is not Damon Bradley, she receives a phone call telling her where the man she believes is her destiny is. With her sister-in-law, Kate, in tow, they travel to Italy in search of her dream, before it is too late. But instead of finding Damon Bradley, she accidentally meets Peter, an American shoe salesman, who falls madly in love with her. Even though she likes Peter, she still believes that her destiny lies with a man she has never met. So with her sister-in-law and now the lovelorn Peter, they continue to follow a trail across Italy to find her mystery man. Will Faith ever find the mysterious Damon Bradley? Will Peter's affection win her over? Or will she return home to her paediatrician fiancée?

Released in 1994, Only You was billed as the new "Sleepless in Seattle"; sadly it never quite lived up to its billing. To be honest, it is not a bad film as romantic-comedies go, and in some ways harks back to the golden era of Hollywood with many similarities to cinematic greats such as "An Affair to Remember" and "Roman Holiday". But the thing which lets this film down is the lack of any real chemistry between its lead stars. At times they come across as two actors just trying to out do each other to gain screen time, and this is the reason why it never manages to live up to its billing. But all in all, it is a very enjoyable film which capitalizes on being set in some of the most picturesque parts of Italy.

The main plot of the film is very predictable, especially when the character of Peter is introduced. But there is a surprising twist, which although is very clever and never expected, it is never used to its full potential, which is a bit annoying. Alongside the main plot, you have a secondary story focussing on the character of Kate, Faith's sister-in-law. Having become disillusioned with her marriage, she follows Kate on her adventure and finds herself the object of the affections of a wealthy Italian boutique owner. The two story lines work brilliantly together, with the secondary story giving extra substance to the movie which could possibly have become a bit boring without it.

The main focus of the film is the character of Faith, played by the stunning Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny). Although she lights up the screen with her beauty, that is about it. There is no real depth shown in her performance of the main character, but her stunning looks, at times comparable to Audrey Hepburn, do make up for this. Opposite her is Robert Downey Jr (Chaplin) as Peter, and to be honest, it is his performance that makes this film so good. It's not only his natural sense of comic timing which makes his performance special, but also his ability to display emotion without over acting. Sadly, the scenes between the two of them lacks any real chemistry and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there was some form of bad feeling between them. The only other really significant performance comes from Bonnie Hunt (Return to Me), who seems to have made a niche for herself, by playing older sisters/friends who offer guidance to a close friend. As always, her performance is very good and she radiates beauty as her dull life is spiced up by the romantic gestures from her Italian acquaintance. There are two other notable names which make appearances in supporting roles, Billy Zane (Titanic) and Fisher Stevens (Short Circuit).

Only You is directed by Norman Jewison who cut his directional teeth back in the golden age of cinema with romantic comedies such as "Send Me No Flowers" featuring Rock Hudson and Doris Day. So it is no wonder that Only You has many similarities to films from the golden era, such as "Three Coins in the Fountain" and "Roman Holiday", with the latter being paid tribute to in more than one scene. My respect goes to Jewison for trying to recreate a film from the golden era, but sadly he doesn't quite achieve it, this is mainly due to the modern stars lacking the class of such Hollywood greats as Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. What Jewison does do extremely well, is to capitalize on the picturesque scenery of Italy, from Venice to Rome and onto the Amalfi coast. Plus, for anyone who has had the pleasure of driving one, the inclusion of an original Fiat 500 is a great bit of nostalgia.

The soundtrack to the film is typically soft and romantic with pieces such as "Some Enchanted Evening", " Only You (and Only You)" and "Once in a Lifetime" setting the mood. But with the film being set in Italy, there is strong musical reference to Italian works both new and old, with pieces composed by Giuseppe Verdi as well as modern songs such as "Amore Contro" by Eros Ramazzotti.

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The Cast
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Marisa Tomei .... Faith Corvatch
Robert Downey Jr. .... Peter Wright
Bonnie Hunt .... Kate Corvatch
Joaquim de Almeida .... Giovanni
Fisher Stevens .... Larry Corvatch
Billy Zane .... Harry
Adam LeFevre .... Damon Bradley

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Technical Details
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Certificate: PG
Length: 115 mins
Originally released: 1994

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The Message

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No message, just an enjoyable romantic comedy.

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Conclusion

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Some people may knock this film for its blatant attempt to capitalize on the success of "Sleepless in Seattle", but if this film hadn't then there would have been another one lining up to do so. Personally I feel it is a good attempt to carry on the brief resurgence in romantic comedies with a nostalgic feel to them. Sadly this falls slightly short of being a great film, thanks to the lack of chemistry between the two lead stars. As a romantic comedy, it provides both in abundance without being over silly or too sentimental, and with the charm of Italy providing a beautiful backdrop for the story, it is truly a good film. This is a good light hearted movie for a quiet Sunday afternoon or an evening in with a loved one.

Only You is available on Amazon for £5.97.
 

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