Honeymoon in Vegas

Most of you are aware of my sentiments as regards a certain relative of Francis Ford Coppola.  This is one of his earlier movies. A Romantic Comedy where he plays a role that he is actually cut out for.  Or should I say comes naturally to him.  That of a loser detective who doesn’t know to choose between poker and his wife to be.

Jack Singer (Nicholas Cage) has a mother who believes that no one can love her son as much as she does.  Ergo, no girl should be allowed to come close to her son.  On her deathbed, she compels Jack to make a promise to her.  That he will never get married!!! Come hell or highwater.  Jack being a bit more sensible than his mother doesn’t agree to the last wish – but doesn’t disagree either.

 

A few years later, Jack, who is a private eye of sorts finds himself deeply in love with Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker) who teaches 2^nd grade at a local school.  They have been seeing each other for over 3 years now.  Thankfully, Betsy is familiar with the story of Jack’s mother and has been patiently waiting for Jack to come around.  On a whim, Jack and Betsy decide to fly down to Las Vegas and get the deed done.

 

However, as luck would have it, Tommy Korman (James Caan) – the most renowned gambler in Vegas – has an ex-wife who looks exactly like Betsy.  Tommy notices Betsy in the corridor of the hotel and sets up a scheme to get our hero (if you could call him that) into a poker game. 

 

A few hours later, Jack finds himself down $85000 and Tommy offers to waive it off in return for a weekend with Betsy.  Guess what? Jack and Betsy agree – WHAT??? The things people can do for money!!! And we wonder why there are real instances of stuff like this happening all around us?

 

Director Andrew Bergman’s big claim to fame came in 1996 with Striptease – a movie that was greeted with a lot of awe.  While it was also probably his last notable achievement, to be fair, he had definitely given us the movie in question and one after it both of which were reasonably entertaining.

 

In Honeymoon in Vegas, he is helped a little bit with the class of James Caan who, despite the fact that is supposed to be in a supporting role, seems to have more screen time.  Or is it just his presence? Nicholas Cage & Sarah Jessica Parker go about their jobs in a manner that they can and nothing more.

 

So to sum it up, I guess Honeymoon in Vegas is a movie in which an average director meets average crew and we get – well – an average movie I guess.  Watchable on TV for certain or get the DVD.  5 on 10.

 

Trailer on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtBRmNz4ugI