Fredrik Haerne
August 15th, 2004, 07:01 PM
I just saw this movie from 1990 again, and thought some comments could be made.
You all know the story: Richard Gere plays Edward Lewis from New York, who is visiting LA on business. He is a corporate raider who buys other companies and sells them off in pieces; he creates nothing and leaves nothing behind.
The target this time is Morse Industries, owned by the old shipbuilder James Morse, who unlike Lewish uses his talent as a business leader to create value. Lewis stalls his deal with the Navy and makes the bank put pressure on him: Morse Industries is not a failed company fit only to be taken apart, but Lewis attacks it all the same.
However, Lewis accidentally meets Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) and hires her to be his date for the week's important socializing with the wealthy elite, and falls in love with her.
Now, a woman can have different effects on a man. She can make him soft and turn him away from important matters, but she can also provide him with an anchor in life, make him think of family and children and that he isn't living only for his own pleasure. Vivian has that effect on Lewis, who changes his mind when old Morse is ready to sign over his company; they go into partnership instead, and Lewis settles down with his newfound love.
The movie is light-hearted and romantic, the perfect flick to watch with a girlfriend. I especially like one scene where Lewis presents Vivian with a borrowed diamond necklace; she puts her hand in the box to touch it, and Lewis quickly snaps the lid shut over her fingers, which makes her laugh in surprise. In this scene Julia Roberts turns toward the camera with her eyes closed while laughing, and the laughter sounds so natural that I am convinced it must be real: she probably didn't know Richard Gere would snap the lid shut. There's a cut in the shooting there, and the next thing we see she is already wearing the necklace, which probably means they had to cut away her out-of-character comments when she stopped laughing.
Although it is mainly Julia Roberts who is praised for the movie (rightfully, she does a very good job), I find the Edward Lewis character more interesting than Vivian Ward. She naturally goes after money, a normal life, and a good man; in the end of the movie she is basically the same as in the beginning, the only change being that after all the comfort and monogamy she has now lost the taste for being a prostitute. Edward Lewis on the other hand starts out with no other purpose than to make money for the sake of money. By taking apart companies created by White men better than himself he is nothing but a parasite -- a gentleman, but a parasite, and a particularly dangerous one at that. His transformation to the more normal sort of White businessman, the kind that produces and builds, is a delight to watch: here is a man who comes to his senses and realizes what life is all about.
Edward Lewis works together with Philip Stuckley, played by Jew Jason Alexander (George in "Seinfeld"). Although the name is not Yiddish, his character is as Jewish as can be: ingratiating, mean-spirited, greedy and completely selfish. While Lewish changes, Stuckley stays the same, perfectly at home in the role as a parasite from New York. When Lewish discovers his White side Stuckley is not understanding but enraged, goes to Lewis's penthouse suite and attacks and attempts to rape Vivian. Lewis returns home in time to beat him up.
Stuckley: "I gave you ten years! I devoted my whole life to you!"
Lewis: "This is bullshit, this is such bullshit! It was the kill you loved, not me! I made you a very rich man doing exactly the thing you loved! Get out!"
Lewis throws out the Jewish adviser who has been dripping poison in his ear; would that all White men in positions of power could do the same.
You all know the story: Richard Gere plays Edward Lewis from New York, who is visiting LA on business. He is a corporate raider who buys other companies and sells them off in pieces; he creates nothing and leaves nothing behind.
The target this time is Morse Industries, owned by the old shipbuilder James Morse, who unlike Lewish uses his talent as a business leader to create value. Lewis stalls his deal with the Navy and makes the bank put pressure on him: Morse Industries is not a failed company fit only to be taken apart, but Lewis attacks it all the same.
However, Lewis accidentally meets Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) and hires her to be his date for the week's important socializing with the wealthy elite, and falls in love with her.
Now, a woman can have different effects on a man. She can make him soft and turn him away from important matters, but she can also provide him with an anchor in life, make him think of family and children and that he isn't living only for his own pleasure. Vivian has that effect on Lewis, who changes his mind when old Morse is ready to sign over his company; they go into partnership instead, and Lewis settles down with his newfound love.
The movie is light-hearted and romantic, the perfect flick to watch with a girlfriend. I especially like one scene where Lewis presents Vivian with a borrowed diamond necklace; she puts her hand in the box to touch it, and Lewis quickly snaps the lid shut over her fingers, which makes her laugh in surprise. In this scene Julia Roberts turns toward the camera with her eyes closed while laughing, and the laughter sounds so natural that I am convinced it must be real: she probably didn't know Richard Gere would snap the lid shut. There's a cut in the shooting there, and the next thing we see she is already wearing the necklace, which probably means they had to cut away her out-of-character comments when she stopped laughing.
Although it is mainly Julia Roberts who is praised for the movie (rightfully, she does a very good job), I find the Edward Lewis character more interesting than Vivian Ward. She naturally goes after money, a normal life, and a good man; in the end of the movie she is basically the same as in the beginning, the only change being that after all the comfort and monogamy she has now lost the taste for being a prostitute. Edward Lewis on the other hand starts out with no other purpose than to make money for the sake of money. By taking apart companies created by White men better than himself he is nothing but a parasite -- a gentleman, but a parasite, and a particularly dangerous one at that. His transformation to the more normal sort of White businessman, the kind that produces and builds, is a delight to watch: here is a man who comes to his senses and realizes what life is all about.
Edward Lewis works together with Philip Stuckley, played by Jew Jason Alexander (George in "Seinfeld"). Although the name is not Yiddish, his character is as Jewish as can be: ingratiating, mean-spirited, greedy and completely selfish. While Lewish changes, Stuckley stays the same, perfectly at home in the role as a parasite from New York. When Lewish discovers his White side Stuckley is not understanding but enraged, goes to Lewis's penthouse suite and attacks and attempts to rape Vivian. Lewis returns home in time to beat him up.
Stuckley: "I gave you ten years! I devoted my whole life to you!"
Lewis: "This is bullshit, this is such bullshit! It was the kill you loved, not me! I made you a very rich man doing exactly the thing you loved! Get out!"
Lewis throws out the Jewish adviser who has been dripping poison in his ear; would that all White men in positions of power could do the same.