Making Mr. Right

source: Making Mr. Right

For a company with its finger in so many pies, including space exploration, Penetrode had an alarming lack of security. People just seem to breeze in through the front door like they're going shopping at Macy's. And then they let - what is she again, the PR expert? - loose on a Frankenstein project when she should probably just making appearances on Coast to Coast with Art Bell. Not messing around with something that will likely change the power balance of the whole globe. And then he escapes practically under the nose of the Pontiac Fiero-driving CEO. Malkovich does well goofing around in a dual role. But once Susan Berman showed up as the hairy-armpitted sister I was immediately reminded how much I enjoyed her in Smithereens, and I wanted to see more of her and a LOT less of the main character and her interactions with Malkovich's two characters. I mean, how many times can I be expected to watch a mediocre redhead put on lipstick? This is part fish-out-of-water, part rom-com, and all unfunny.

I saw this on TV 2 nights ago as I never seen it before and I thought it was a bit stupid. The film is about a woman who falls in love with an android who is like the creator that made him. The android of course has human charctheristics and falls for the woman also leaving their relationship at jeopardy. The story is a bit dull as its weird having a woman falling for an android I mean COME ON how is she suppose to be with someone who isn't real. It just doesn't make sense. The ending was a bit of a letdown and the music was OK I guess. Im giving this a 4/10 because I didn't really like it.

Frankie Stone (Ann Magnuson) is a modern woman in Miami. She's in public relations and is tired of boyfriend/client politician Steven Marcus. Her mother keeps bothering her about her sister's wedding. Her latest client is repressed scientist Jeff Peters (John Malkovich). He has created the Ulysses android which looks exactly like him. The program is in danger of losing government funding. Ulysses has never seen a woman and Frankie starts teaching him social graces before presenting him on a talk show. Her best friend Trish (Glenne Headly) arrives to stay with her after Trish's soap actor husband left her. The premise is somewhat cute. This is a rom-com where the successful female lead can't find a good man. Ann Magnuson is not a big rom-com actress. A bigger actress could probably make this work better. Malkovich is a stiff scientist and a learning robot. He's fine but not a hunky lead. I don't think any of the jokes are working. Frankie is a nice character but this isn't that funny.

The two stars of the film are John Malkovich and Ann Magnuson. John Malkovich is now renowned as a consummate actor, and in this film he has a tour de force in a dual role playing Dr. Jeff Peters, an all-serious engineer/scientist and the look-alike android he created for a one-person multi-year deep space mission which the characters believe would be too lonely for a human to endure. Unfortunately, Ann Magnuson did not enjoy similar success as a film actress following this part. I found that surprising because she was truly excellent as Frankie Stone, a respected publicist hired to convince the government to provide funds for continuation of Dr. Peters' deep space project. Frankie's approach is to make the android (named Ulysses) more engaging and interesting to the general public during interviews. That is, to make it more human-like. Magnuson, a red-head, was around 30 years old when the film was made, and I thought at times that I was watching a 30 year old Shirley MacLaine. The style of the film as a whole seemed to me to belong to an earlier time in the film industry, more like 1950s era romantic comedies. I checked to see if the film had been made earlier and not released until 1987, but found nothing to indicate that. Perhaps I'm just not remembering that time period accurately.

This film was my first introduction to John Malkovich. He stars in a dual role as the straight laced Dr. Jeff Peters and the fun loving android Ulysses. This is one of the few roles that Malkovich has done that really bring out his comedic side. The story goes as such: Frankie is a publicist that is hired by Chemtec to socialize an expensive android, Ulysses, before he journeys into space for 7 years. There are also hilarious supporting performances by Glenne Headley and Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne). This is a definate must-see comedy!!!!!

This film is about what happens when a chemical company hires a PR woman to program their Android when they are worried about losing funding for a deep space program. Right. Ok, as far as I was concerned with a plot like that it was doomed from the start. But I was surprised. It is a measure of the John Malkovich's ability that when he was on the screen, even this movie lost some of its inane quality and actually had a few good moments. This is far from being a good movie but Malkovich does make it almost watchable. Also, there is also enough late 80's technology present in this film that its interesting from a pop history perspective. Seeing folks at the wedding lugging around a camcorder that's larger than my current VCR brought back memories. Also our heroine lugs an old-fashioned Filo-Fax everywhere. Remember those big wheels that held paper cards with contact data?

An bright, smart, beautiful woman named Frankie Stone (Ann Magnuson) is public relations executive. She been hired by a huge technology company to "humanaize" their latest work. An dorky, curious, android named Ulysses (John Malkovich). Which Ulysses is been trained to be an astronaut. Ulysses is the likeness of a cold-hearted scientist named Jeff Peters (Also played by Malkovich). At first, Frankie finds her latest assignment to be truly strange. As she gets to know Ulysses much better than Peters, she slowly falls in love with Ulysses! Ulysses starting to be more curious about the human life than being an astronaut. Which Peters is absolutely furious, since it taken him years to train Ulysses and drives him crazy that Ulysses only wants to know about love! Directed by Susan Seidelman (Cookie, Desperately Seeking Susan, She-Devil) made an amusing romantic comedy with superb comic performances by Malkovich and Magnuson. "Making Mr. Right" was an flop, when it was released in 1987. But the movie did went on to have an loyal cult following. It is fun to watch Malkovich in a charming, extremely funny and touching role. Which it is rare for Malkovich. Magnuson is certainly an knockout in her role. Glenne Headly does have some very amusing moments as Stone's best friend and Laurie Metcalf does have some good moments as the annoying woman in Peters' life. DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (also in Pan & Scan) and an good Dolby 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD's only feature is the original theatrical trailer. In a way, "Making Mr. Right" is a odd romantic comedy with some original effective moments that makes this movie unique. The movie has an great if unusual ending as well. Die-fans of Malkovich certainly should check the movie out. Great use of "The Turtles" song titled "Happy Together" at the end. "Making Mr. Right" is certainly an curio. (****/*****).

A sweet romantic comedy, that has an interesting twist. A image consultant named Frankie Stone(Ann Magnuson) who just dumped her philandering congressman boyfriend(Ben Masters). Is asked to help an android named Ulysses(John Malkovich), to help polish his social graces, before he is unvaled to the public. Much of the dismay of his of his creator Dr. Jeff Peters(Also John Malkovich). A good romantic comedy of it's time. Ann Magnuson is great. John Malkovich is terrific in duel roles has the sweet and sincere android Ulysses, and has the uptight and cynical Dr. Jeff Peters. A great movie to rent for your date.

the movie was far ahead of its time. i just got to watch this film recently in wowow -- a japanese cable channel available here in the philippines -- and as i was watching the film, i thought that the movie was made in 1999 or later. i was very surprised to find in the credits that the film had a copyright year of 1987. amazing! i think that most of the themes of the movie: love, sex, finding the right person, being a loner, were tackled in a timeless manner, such that they are still applicable now as they were 14 years ago. all in all, a great movie. definitely, a must see!