Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 9, 1991 TAG: 9102090397
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Writer/star Steve Martin proves that "Roxanne" wasn't a fluke. This one is even funnier and much more inventive. It's a bright, intelligent comedy with echoes of the Marx Brothers, early Woody Allen, Fellini, even Shakespeare. English director Mick Jackson adds a gloss of flashy visual style to Martin's script.
Harris Telemacher (Martin) is a TV weatherman who performs with "wacky" humor. Though Harris loves the physical pleasures of Los Angeles - the climate, the restaurants, the relaxed attitude - he knows that something is missing. He's stuck in a static relationship with his girlfriend Trudi (Marilu Henner) and he's so cavalier about his job that he tapes the weekend weather forecast four days in advance.
But then he meets Sara McDowel (Victoria Tennant), a British journalist newly arrived in L.A. He falls for her immediately, but at the same time, he meetsSanDeE (Sarah Jessica Parker), an energetic young clothing store clerk who is as flaky as the spelling of her name. Harris doesn't know what to do with his life until he receives a supernatural message from a surprising source.
About half the film is an affectionate satire of Southern California lifestyles. Crosswalk signs flash, "Uh, Like Walk" and "Uh, Like Don't Walk." Martin also looks at generational differences, obsessions with sex, the elevation of style over substance, pervasive trendiness, brunch, bank card machines and traffic. But his humor is never as sharp or angry as it could be.
The other half of the story is a romantic comedy and though it's more conventional, it's just as appealing as the satire. Credit for that goes to Martin's literate script. He writes unusual, openly emotional and honest dialogue better than anyone in the business. Even if he and Tennant don't exactly set the screen on fire with passion, the rest of the supporting cast picks up the slack admirably.
Richard E. Grant is very good as Sara's ex- who never quite figures out what's going on, and Sarah Jessica Parker steals the show as a perpetual motion airhead. Several of Martin's friends appear in cameo roles, but apparently some last-minute editing left John Lithgow, who was featured in the film's previews, on the cutting room floor.
It would be easy to criticize "L.A. Story" for not being harder on its subject, but it's even easier to give in and enjoy this seductive crowd pleaser. `L.A. Story': A Tri-Star release playing at the Salem Valley 8 (389-0444). 95 min. Rated PG-13 for sexual subject matter.
by CNB