Opens
Friday, April 18
Only those so eager for a happy romantic ending they're willing to overlook the tedium leading there will warm to "Venus & Mars," a wannabe "Cinderella" for grown-ups.
This tale of twentysomethings manages to feel false every step of the way, beginning with its setting, a village in Germany apparently populated by Americans and Brits with varying degrees of German accents. None of the actors transcends the material. As an intended vehicle for Daniela Amavia ("Children of Dune"), who also exec produces, this U.S.-German co-production scores no points.
The film's title refers to the predictions of Tarot-reading Emily (Lynn Redgrave, surrendering to the forced quirkiness of her "kook" character), who sees love in the stars for daughter Kay (Amavia) when she returns home from her unfulfilling life in Frankfurt. The occasion for Kay's visit is the death of her high school soccer coach, which also brings back pal Lisa (Julie Bowen) from San Francisco. But there's no sense of what the departed Frank meant to either of them or why they'd make the trip; his passing is a transparent dramatic excuse for the reunion of four friends. Rounding out the quartet are Celeste (Fay Masterson) and Marie (Julia Sawalha of "Absolutely Fabulous", utterly wasted here), both married and still living in the area.
Although the characters endlessly explain themselves in flat, on-the-nose dialogue, relationships remain unclear far too long. Ben Taylor's script offers wan stereotypes, the four friends supposedly representing the range of women, from the adamantly single to the perpetually pregnant, each as complex as a cardboard cut-out -- though there is an unconvincing attempt to provide Kay with a back story.
Director Harry Mastrogeorge moves the uninspired action along at a decent pace. But with such tired observations as "Did you know men have sexual thoughts every 20 seconds?" passing for edgy repartee, the proceedings can't help but drag.
The supposed chemistry between Kay and a hitchhiking American (Michael Weatherly) never comes alive as the story gets where it's obviously going, devoid of tension but boasting its fair share of clumsy humor, not to mention the unintended laughs at such moments as an attempted rape.
VENUS & MARS
Zenpix in association with Innovation Film Group
Atlantis Film in association with Mitteldeutsches Filmkontor
Credits:
Director: Harry Mastrogeorge
Screenwriter: Ben Taylor
Producers: Emmo Lempert, Bernd F. Lunkewitz, Uwe Schott
Executive producers: Daniela Amavia, Nelson Woss
Director of photography: Martin Fuhrer
Production designer: Boerries Hahn-Hoffmann
Music: Nathan Barr
Co-producers: Thomas Bretschneider, Lauren Moews
Costume designer: Barbara Baum
Editor: Darcy Worsham
Cast:
Emily Vogel: Lynn Redgrave
Kay Vogel: Daniela Amavia
Roberto: Ryan Hurst
Celeste: Fay Masterson
Marie: Julia Sawalha
Lisa: Julie Bowen
Cody: Michael Weatherly
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Friday, April 18
Only those so eager for a happy romantic ending they're willing to overlook the tedium leading there will warm to "Venus & Mars," a wannabe "Cinderella" for grown-ups.
This tale of twentysomethings manages to feel false every step of the way, beginning with its setting, a village in Germany apparently populated by Americans and Brits with varying degrees of German accents. None of the actors transcends the material. As an intended vehicle for Daniela Amavia ("Children of Dune"), who also exec produces, this U.S.-German co-production scores no points.
The film's title refers to the predictions of Tarot-reading Emily (Lynn Redgrave, surrendering to the forced quirkiness of her "kook" character), who sees love in the stars for daughter Kay (Amavia) when she returns home from her unfulfilling life in Frankfurt. The occasion for Kay's visit is the death of her high school soccer coach, which also brings back pal Lisa (Julie Bowen) from San Francisco. But there's no sense of what the departed Frank meant to either of them or why they'd make the trip; his passing is a transparent dramatic excuse for the reunion of four friends. Rounding out the quartet are Celeste (Fay Masterson) and Marie (Julia Sawalha of "Absolutely Fabulous", utterly wasted here), both married and still living in the area.
Although the characters endlessly explain themselves in flat, on-the-nose dialogue, relationships remain unclear far too long. Ben Taylor's script offers wan stereotypes, the four friends supposedly representing the range of women, from the adamantly single to the perpetually pregnant, each as complex as a cardboard cut-out -- though there is an unconvincing attempt to provide Kay with a back story.
Director Harry Mastrogeorge moves the uninspired action along at a decent pace. But with such tired observations as "Did you know men have sexual thoughts every 20 seconds?" passing for edgy repartee, the proceedings can't help but drag.
The supposed chemistry between Kay and a hitchhiking American (Michael Weatherly) never comes alive as the story gets where it's obviously going, devoid of tension but boasting its fair share of clumsy humor, not to mention the unintended laughs at such moments as an attempted rape.
VENUS & MARS
Zenpix in association with Innovation Film Group
Atlantis Film in association with Mitteldeutsches Filmkontor
Credits:
Director: Harry Mastrogeorge
Screenwriter: Ben Taylor
Producers: Emmo Lempert, Bernd F. Lunkewitz, Uwe Schott
Executive producers: Daniela Amavia, Nelson Woss
Director of photography: Martin Fuhrer
Production designer: Boerries Hahn-Hoffmann
Music: Nathan Barr
Co-producers: Thomas Bretschneider, Lauren Moews
Costume designer: Barbara Baum
Editor: Darcy Worsham
Cast:
Emily Vogel: Lynn Redgrave
Kay Vogel: Daniela Amavia
Roberto: Ryan Hurst
Celeste: Fay Masterson
Marie: Julia Sawalha
Lisa: Julie Bowen
Cody: Michael Weatherly
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 4/17/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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