Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 2, 1991 TAG: 9102020417
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Green Card" has the same off-beat appeal that made "Gallipoli," "The Year of Living Dangerously," "Witness" and "Dead Poet's Society" so successful. The keys here are excellent casting and a good script that director Wier wrote specifically for his star, Gerard Depardieu.
Depardieu is George Faure, a Frenchman who wants a "green card" from immigration officials so he can stay in New York City. He needs an American wife. Andie MacDowell is Bronte Parrish, a horticulturalist who wants an apartment with a green house. It's available only to a married couple. They arrange a neat marriage of convenience. When the ceremony is over, they expect never to see each other again.
But, of course, complications ensue. The couple is forced to spend a weekend together while inventing a romantic history to convince the immigration people that the marriage is legitimate. That's not easy for the two opposites.
George is a tough, irascible sort from a rough background. His tastes run toward red meat, garlic, butter and strong black coffee. Bronte is decaffeinated; upper-class, cool, more comfortable with plants than people. As they get to know more about each other, deeper emotions come into play. Adding to the confusion are Bronte's family and friends who know nothing about her domestic arrangement.
Though there are some well-staged bits of physical business, Weir's story never becomes a bedroom farce. It does lose focus toward the middle when a group of irritating rich people are introduced. But even if the resolution is predictable, it's not completely predictable.
Of the two leads, Andie MacDowell is by far the weakest. Perhaps her role doesn't have as much depth as the character she played in "sex, lies and videotape," but she still seems too stiff and uncomfortable at times. Depardieu, making his American debut, shows why he is the biggest star in Europe. He has the same thick-bodied presence and strong personality that made Spencer Tracy so likable on film.
He is so appealing here that he could well make "Green Card" this year's "Ghost" or "Pretty Woman." `Green Card': A Touchstone release playing at the Valley View Mall 6 theaters (362-8219). Rated PG-13 for a little strong language. 106 min.
by CNB