BEFORE: Geena Davis carries over from "Angie" - and it's the end of Romance Month, and the start of a new political chain. Perhaps I should have done this chain back in Nov. during the height of election season, but I'm running about 3 months behind. For me, that's actually a sign I'm catching up.
It's been a rough month for romance in films, so I'm rewarding myself with a couple of beer dinners, since it happens to be NYC Craft Beer Week, and there are pairing dinners and tap takeovers all over town.
THE PLOT: Two political speechwriters fall in love before they find out they are working for candidates on opposite sides.
AFTER: This one sort of hearkens back to the classic screwball romantic comedies, it's not too hard to imagine Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in a similar set-up. Of course, we know that the two leads are perfect for each other and meant to be together, even if they don't realize it themselves. Plus we've got an ex-wife and an ex-boyfriend, and I'm reminded of "Desk Set" and "Pat and Mike", both of which featured an alternate love interest.
But the downside is that the politics is given a bit of short shrift here - obviously you might expect rival candidates to take up opposite stances on issues, but that doesn't always happen. What I mean is that it's not automatic, there could be political points that both parties might agree on, right? But this film doesn't really get into any issues, or explore what a Democrat or a Republican might stand for.
Instead there's contrivance after contrivance, from a lost day planner to a lost financial file, even the romance hinges on a broken-down car and their shared insomnia - this could easily have been called "Sleepless" instead of "Speechless". I guess the relationship wouldn't work if only one of them couldn't sleep, while the other one was dozing.
Still, it's a lot of fun, and where else can you see actors who played Batman and Superman as romantic rivals?
Also starring Michael Keaton (last heard in "Toy Story 3"), Ernie Hudson, Bonnie Bedelia (last seen in "Needful Things"), Christopher Reeve (last seen in "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace"), Charles Martin Smith, with cameos from Harry Shearer (last heard in "Almost Heroes") and Steven Wright (last seen in "Mixed Nuts").
RATING: 5 out of 10 sound bites
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