Only You (1994)

Directed by: Norman Jewison
Fortmat: On Demand
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Bonnie Hunt, Joaquim De Almeida
Trailer

This may be Gummi Popcorn's first romantic comedy review. I tend to avoid the genre in general, because most of these movies are predictable, cheesey, sappy, unrealistic and just plain boring. They're fairy tales; the kind of things shown to little girls to make them believe there's a prince charming out there somewhere. They're also churned out by Hollywood like a Chip's Ahoy cookie. The most heart-breaking scenes I've ever seen were found in dramas and foreign or indy films. Real romance, I feel, is filled with pain and anguish. That being said, I have found, on very rare occasions, I good romantic comedy. Some of the early 80's films (most of them star John Cusak) can be fun to watch. The only thing that made me take a chance on Only You was Robert Downey Jr.

Faith (Tomei) is about to be a young bride. All her life, she has believed in destiny. When she was a child, she was told that she would marry a man named Damon Bradley. A week before her wedding to a boring pediatrist, she gets a phone call. After she hangs up the reciever, she realizes the name she jotted down was Damon Bradley. So, beliving this could be her last chance to meet the man of her dreams, she rushes off to the airport (in her wedding dress) to catch a plane to Italy. Tagging along is her sister-in-law and best friend Kate (Hunt). The pair try to track Faith's mystery man from hotel to restaurant and across the country. As Faith is chasing Mr. Bradley through the streets of Venice, she loses a shoe in true Cinderella style. The man who delivers the shoe says his name is Damon Bradley. The two spend a romantic night together and seems to click perfectly. There's just one catch - he lied about his name. His real name is Peter (Downey) and he's madly enough in love with Faith to try one more deception to keep her around.

The whole premise of Only You is silly, but so is love. Faith is willing to risk her entire future on a name. Where she gets the money to jet off to Italy on a whim is beyond me. Faith's friend Kate is married and jaded and rightfully so, because her husband (played by Fisher Stevens) is a jerk who takes her away from her "girls' night out" to cook dinner for his poker friends. So, why is she willing to deny a wealthy, debonair Italian wife snatcher a chance? Even Peter, who is really the perfect match for Faith, is kind of a dirtbag. He consistently lies to her and, while his intentions are good, is this really a characteristic to admire in a man?

I have had a crush on Robert Downey Jr. since I don't know when. The reasons are beyond me, but whether he's a heartbroken liar, a dream-obsessed businessman or a down-and-out junkie, I love the guy. There's just something about the actor that draws me in. He looks great in Only You and, despite the fact he's untruthful, I wanted his character to succeed. I'd never understood the obsession with Marisa Tomei until I saw this movie. She really is beautiful. In Only You, she has a sort of Audrey Hepburn allure (and haircut) and naivete that makes Faith an enjoyable character. Naturally, she needs a friend and confidant to cling to, who provides the more realistic approach while still being supportive. Boonie Hunt does a reasonable job of fulliflling that role while carrying on a subplot of her own. I was a bit disappointed that the third in the friendly trio, Leslie (Siobhan Fallon) didn't have a larger part in the movie.

Only You is a cute and light movie. Admittedly, there were moments where I was drawn in. But, it was just as frustrating as most romantic comedies are. Why don't these people just communicate to each other? As usual, it's got a perfect ending, where the two who were truly meant to be together, find the strength to unite. Maybe it's just the result of my experiences, but I still prefer a more realistic approach to love. Woody Allen usually gets it right, I just wish he wouldn't act. If you're a fan of the genre, I think Only You will be a nice addition to your collection. As a non-fan, I was interested in the scenery, but not so much the plot.

Overall Rating: 2 stars
Hottie Rating: 4 stars (for beautiful Tomei and my crush on Robert)

Alternate Recommendation: Chasing Amy
Official Site
IMDB Page
Washington Post review - I honestly coudln't find another accurate or well written review for this one.

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***