Faithfully enjoyable... (Faithful (DVD))

Member Name: kiran8

Product:	Faithful (DVD)
Date:	07/07/09 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good performances especially from Cher and Chazz...

Disadvantages: None

This 1996 Black comedy film directed by Paul Mazursky is definitely worth watching. The film is well directed and keeps the viewers interested throughout with its hilarious conversation and well defined performances by the lead actors.

It stars Cher as a rich but rejected wife who wants to take her life on her 20th anniversary . Margaret ( Cher ) apparently happily married to Jack Connor ( Ryan O Neal) is , in fact fighting depression and wants to end it all. She writes a note to her husband and is about to take a bottle full of sleeping pills, when she hears the door bell..

The husband has made other plans for his wife - He hires a hit man Tony (Chazz Palminteri ) to kill his wife, so that he can marry his secretary Debbie (Amber Smith ) with whom he has been having a torrid affair..In the mean time Jack, the husband goes about getting an alibi for himself.

Tony arrives at their residence , having foiled Margaret's suicide attempt and having gained entry into the house , tells the wife of his intentions to kill her, not revealing the entire plan and her husband's involvement.
But as things proceed and Tony is waiting for more instructions from Jack, the two begin to talk. Margaret begins probing his psychology and begins confusing him .

She begins by telling him that 'Well adjusted people don't go about killing others..Tony now becomes a little unsure about himself and, sensing this, she asks him " Is it different killing woman than killing a man? . To which, he says ' I don't know because I have never done it so far. She smiles at him and answers 'Don't worry there is always a first time! ..The conversation between the two continue on those lines, very witty, interesting and down right funny ! .

Tony in turn comes up with his own observations like ' There should be a law against 24 year blondes with big boobs ' , this , when Margaret tells him about her husband's affair with his secretary and goes on to describe the girl to him..

In between their conversations ,he tells her that he has to call his shrink Dr Susskind ( Paul Mazursky ) because he has had a setback and is feeling stressed. He goes on to call his Psychiatrist demanding a session with him right away, since he was right now on a job which was disturbing him .The conversation between the two , Tony and his shrink is brilliantly funny ..

As more time passes Tony opens up with Margaret and begins to tell her about his life, beginning with the death of his parents and how lonely his life has been ever since ?

Some of the conversations between them make you roar with laughter especially when she asks for a cigarette - he tells her that he will not give it to her because it kills her and it has been medically proven etc; and goes on to advise her to be more careful in the future, and she innocently looks at him and asks him, Future ??

The Psychiatrist in the mean time tries to talk him out of killing her - and suggests some books for him " The road less traveled' and asks Tony to carry it with him at all times and read it when such tricky situations arise !. Tony is enraged with this suggestion and tells Margaret that instead of curing him , his shrink was driving him crazy by asking him to read that book.

Another utterly funny scene is when Tony asks for something to eat and she suggests , that he can have some bread ,which he goes and gets, but,when he sees it is White, he begins to lecture her about health foods and how she should be careful of what she eats.

And so they talk and she probes him further , even as he gets more and more upset and confused, knowing that she is getting the better of him . But, much against his wishes , he does open up and tells her things about himself and about his childhood. He is guilt ridden because he had killed his sister out of compulsion , who he had loved and he talks about the whole episode to Margaret ...

The film has an interesting climax ..
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this brilliant comedy, which has some great performances by Cher and Chazz. I whole heartedly recommend this film giving it an 7 out of 10..

Some details about the film :
Director :Paul Mazursky
Genre: Comedy/crime
Star cast : Cher, Ryan o Neal, Chazz Palminteri,Paul Mazursky

Summary: A great movie that has been under rated..