
DATE: Tuesday, October 7, 1997              TAG: 9710070041

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E5   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Movie Review 

SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC 

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

ROMANCE-FILLED MOVIE BETTERED BY GAROFALO

``THE MATCHMAKER'' would be the perfect movie for St. Patrick's Day, but why wait?

It's utterly predictable, but there is plenty of Irish blarney, a host of Irish tunes from uninhibited tenors and, most of all, the cynical, tough presence of Janeane Garofalo, an off-beat 20th century girl who may yet evolve as a star. Put her in a tiny Irish village and tempt her with romance and you've got a likable conflict of emotions.

For those who know Garofalo only for her TV outings (``Larry Sanders Show,'' ``Saturday Night Live''), there may be a surprise in that ``The Matchmaker'' is much more a romance than a comedy. Its producers are calling her ``America's favorite anti-star'' and the film ``a romantic comedy for people who hate romantic comedies.''

In spite of their cynical claims, ``The Matchmaker'' has a good deal more heart than it does brains.

Ultimately, it's for the dating crowd, not the beer crowd. If it finds the right audience, it could be a surprise hit.

Garofalo plays a political worker who is dispatched to a small Irish town in an effort to root out the relatives of a hypocritical Massachusetts senator (Jay O. Sanders) who's behind in the polls. He sees a chance to capture the Boston-Irish vote, particularly if he can find a Kennedy somewhere in his background.

She arrives just in the middle of the annual Matchmaking Festival. Local matchmaker Milo O'Shea takes one look at her and decides to match her up with down-on-his-luck journalist Sean (David O'Hara). In fact, just about every eligible bachelor in town lines up to become a candidate.

There's quite a lot of Irish music in the background and some grand scenery of the western coast, around Galway Bay. There's also quite a bit of old-fashioned blarney. (Rent ``The Quiet Man'' before seeing this, if you want to get in the mood). Garofalo is the perfect antidote to it all. She plays a modern woman with modern cynicism. She's not about to get carried away with any man, particularly a smalltown one.

Watching her defense crumble is entertaining. There's an endearing scene when Sean, who can't carry a tune, volunteers to sing in order to compete in the singing contest she's judging. It's as meaningful a love scene as any in recent moviedom and, notably, it has nothing to do with sex.

Garofalo has a wonderful vulnerability that makes us pull for her. She's not your conventional Hollywood beauty by any stretch of the imagination but it's obvious that she's no dog either. She may well take over the vulnerability throne once occupied by Sandra Bullock before she got too pretty and became a movie star.

O'Shea is shameless in his overacting as the resident matchmaker. Among other character roles, he was the friar in the best screen adaptation of ``Romeo and Juliet.''

``The Matchmaker'' is a little film that smacks of the other-world village charms of ``Local Hero'' or ``The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain.'' It is replete with Irish stereotypes, which we are prone to hug rather than repulse. For people who want to take a chance on a little film that is steeped in romance rather than brittle comedy, it's the ticket. ILLUSTRATION: PAUL CHEDLOW photo

Marcy (Janeane Garofalo) is pursued by Sean (David O'Hara) in the

romantic-comedy ``The Matchmaker.''

Graphic

MOVIE REVIEW

``The Matchmaker''

Cast: Janeane Garofalo, Milo O'Shea, David O'Hara, Jay O.

Sanders, Denis Leary

Director: Mark Joffe

MPAA rating: R (some language, bathtub nudity, mostly a sweet

romance)

Locations: Columbus Movies 12 and Lynnhaven 8, Virginia Beach

Mal's rating: 3 stars