Moonstruck

Maybe we should be committed, but my husband and I have memorized virtually the entire movie. Neither of us has ever been so in love with a film. The reason this movie "struck" us so I think is because it illuminates the human heart at it's romantic best. Not to mention that there is a line in this movie appropriate for almost any of life's experiences. I don't know how we would get through a day without it! I guess we truly are lunatics! Ha. Perhaps in our love relationships, we should see one another in the romantic glow given off by the bella luna. I can't pick a favorite line, but the scene when Loretta first confronts Ronnie in the bakery is powerful, moving, and Nicolas Cage at his very best "I ain't no monument to justice!...". Also, when he walks her to his place in the freezing cold and tells her "we're not here to make things perfect. We are here to ruin ourselves and love the wrong people..." Permission to be passionate and flawed. Trivia-Did you know that the second slap Loretta gives Ronnie when she tells him to "snap out of it!" was impromptu, and that they both cracked up after that and filmed the rest of that scene struggling not to burst out laughing?

This is certainly in my top-10 favorite movies. It is so filled with poetry and smart humor that the only possible weakness could be that it's too good! I mean, it's so funny and touching throughout that I worry I'm being manipulated by a master of narrative so powerful that I'm overwhelmed. When every scene seems classic then surely it's a cliché, no? Well, anyway, that's my irrational worry. The only lapse in its logic and flow that I can see is that Johnny says he can't get married now because his mother will die. But, wait a minute, didn't she get better because he was getting married? Riddle me this, my friends. That's always bothered me. On the other hand, you can take Nick Cage's speech outside of his apartment and set it to verse and it's a work of passionate art! "We are meant to love the wrong people, etc., etc. " Wham! Beautiful! The ending is my fave, the reconciliation, the links to history & family. Beautiful! Who doesn't wan't to be an Italian (or at least a member of an Italianish family) after seeing this movie? I've been moonstruck for almost 20 years over this flick. Only a smack across the kisser by Cher could snap me out of it. I should be so lucky...

Campy overacting (not in a good way), bad writing, and ridiculous storyline. Yuck.

Generally over rated movie which boasts a strong cast and some clever dialog and of course Dean Martin songs. Problem is Nicholas Cage, there is no chemistry between he and Cher and they are the central love story. Cher almost makes up for this with her reactions to Cage's shifting accent and out of control body language. Cage simply never settles into his role. He tries everything he can think of and comes across as an actor rather than real person and that's what's needed in a love story. Cage has had these same kind of performance problems in other roles that require more of a Jimmy Stewart type character. Cage keeps taking these roles, perhaps because he likes those kind of movies but his own energy as an actor doesn't lend itself to them, though he's gotten better at it with repeated attempts. He should leave these type of roles to less interesting actors who would fully commit to the film and spend his energy and considerable talent in more off beat roles and films where he can be his crazy interesting self.

From The Godfather onwards, the Italian American world was a popular cultural backdrop for movies of all sorts in the 70s and 80s. Most of these were about gangsters (even when they were comedies, as in the 1985 movie Prizzi's Honor), but as Moonstruck shows, there were plenty of other stereotypes to be exploited without resorting to gun-toting Mafiosi. Moonstruck features numerous tropes of Italian culture – vendettas, elderly matriarchs, romantic opera etc., etc., etc… Often these are in a satirical light, such as Nicholas Cage's absolutely pathetic excuse for "bad blood". But none of this is actually very funny. The movie is really a mess of clichés and crisscrossing romantic subplots, with occasional musings on the nature of love and fidelity, none of which seems quite as intelligent or cohesive as it seems to thinks it is. Cher carries the movie's Italian American cliché through to her performance, which is full of extravagant gesture. She just about keeps the lid on theatricality, and does some fairly good emoting later on, but she was nowhere near deserving of the Academy Award. Nicholas Cage continues his then-current trend of playing the young, pretentious "tortured soul", and while he's not outstanding there aren't many actors who could make such a ridiculous figure into a credible romantic lead. Danny Aiello is always fun to see but he is underused here. It is Olympia Dukakis who really gives the picture its only great, solid dramatic performance. Director Norman Jewison directs with an eye towards beauty and eye-catching imagery. Early on, Cher is often duplicated in reflection, concentrating us on her visage. There's a really neat set-up when Cher is on the phone to Aiello, with Aiello's dying mother in the background of one shot and the healthy Dukakis in the equivalent position of the other shot. The whole thing has that wonderful late 80s/early 90s look, of a city glowing in the night, and this is perhaps the only thing I really like about it. That, and the fact that at 100 minutes it is mercifully short. As a romantic movie, it moves me not at all. I speak English and I can even get by in Italian, but for all that it meant to me Moonstruck was incomprehensible.

This film stands head and shoulders above the vast majority of cinematic romantic comedies. It is virtually flawless! The writing, acting, production design, humor and pathos are all wonderful! Even the music -- from Dean Martin to La Boheme -- is captivating and delightful! Every character is peculiarly delightful and memorable, from the leads played by Cher and Nicolas Cage, to the many supporting roles -- Olympia Dukakis , Vincent Gardenia, John Mahoney, Danny Aiello -- even grandpa with his dog pack! Each of these performers, plus Norman Jewison as Director, performs above their normal quality in this ensemble work. For several of the actors, this was an early major exposure in film, so the casting is also exceptional -- and we have many current acting powerhouses whose careers were altered by their effectiveness in this film. I've seen this film several times all the way through -- which can sometimes deflate the impact of a film substantially. More tellingly, I realized some years ago that whenever I channel-surfed my way into a scene from this film -- any scene -- the scene was compelling and beautifully crafted. There are so many stunning and memorable scenes the original meeting between the Cher and Nicolas Cage characters, where Cage tells his tale of woe; Vincent Gardenia discovered with his paramour at the opera, amidst the splendor generated by his gold-mine plumbing business; Olympia Dukakis scolding John Mahoney for philandering with his student in the classic line about liaisons with co-workers: "Don't sh-t where you eat!"; Danny Aiello at his dying mother's bedside; Nicolas Cage "taking" Cher as the rapture of an aria soars in the background! There are of course many great romantic comedies, among them Sabrina (both versions, but especially the Audrey Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart/William Holden original); When Harry Met Sally; The Apartment. None quite equals Moonstruck!

This movie is still an all time favorite. Only a pretentious, humorless moron would not enjoy this wonderful film. This movie feels like a slice of warm apple pie topped with french vanilla ice cream! I think this is Cher's best work ever and her most believable performance. Cher has always been blessed with charisma, good looks, and an enviably thin figure. Whether you like her singing or not - who else sounds like Cher? Cher has definitely made her mark in the entertainment industry and will be remembered long after others have come and gone. She is one of the most unique artists out there. It's funny, because who would have thought of Cher as such a naturally gifted actress? She is heads above the so-called movie "stars" of today. Cher is a real actor on the same level as Debra Winger, Alfre Woodard, Holly Hunter, Angela Bassett and a few others, in that she never seems to be "acting," she really becomes the character convincingly. She has more than earned the respect of her peers and of the movie-going public. Everything about Moonstruck is wonderful - the characters, the scenery, the dialog, the food. I never get tired of watching this movie. Every time single time I watch the scene where they are all sitting around the dinner table at Rose's house, I pause the remote to see exactly what delicious food Rose is serving. I saw the spaghetti, mushrooms (I think), but I can't make out whether they are eating ravioli, ziti? What is that main course? It looks wonderful and its driving me nuts! Everybody in that family was a hardworking individual and they respected and cared about one another. The grandfather wasn't pushed aside and tolerated, he was a vital part of the family and he was listened to and respected for his age and wisdom. He seemed to be a pretty healthy, independent old codger too. Loretta's mom wasn't "just a housewife," she was the glue that held the family together and was a model example of what a wife, mother, and home manager should aspire to be. She was proud of the lifestyle she had chosen but she didn't let it define who she was. High powered businessmen aren't as comfortable in their skin as Rose Casterini was. Notice the saucy way she said "I didn't have kids until after I was 37. It ain't over 'til its over." You got the sense that she had been the type of young woman who did exactly as she pleased and got her way without the other person realizing what had happened. She was charming, quick witted, and very smart. What a great mom! I didn't actually like Loretta right away because she seemed like a bit of a know--it-all who wasn't really as adventurous and as in control of herself as she wanted others to think. She could tell others about themselves and where they had gone wrong, but she really didn't apply common sense to her own life. She was going to marry a middle-aged mama's boy simply because she wanted a husband and a sense of identity and purpose to her life. She was more conventional than her own mom. She dressed and wore her hair like a matron at a house of detention and seemed humorless and bored, but underneath you sensed that she was vulnerable and lonely and had a lot of love to give the right man. She would probably end up making an awesome mom too. I could see in the future, a house full of Loretta and Ronnie's loud, screaming happy kids and Rose and Cosmo enjoying every minute of it.

'Moonstruck' is a love story. There is not one romance, there are at least three, but they all have to do with the same family. Loretta's family. Loretta (Cher) is about to marry Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). She doesn't love him, but he is sweet and good man. When he leaves to visit his dying mother in Italy Loretta meets Johnny's brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage). He and Johnny haven't spoken each other in five years and Loretta wants to invite him to the wedding. Of course they fall instantly for each other. How this story and love stories of Loretta's parents and uncle and aunt develop is something you simply have to see for yourself. Every seen is a delight to watch, with Cher as the bright star in the middle of everything. She won and really deserved the Oscar that year. Cage is pretty good, and goofy as well, and Olympia Dukakis as Loretta's mother and Vincent Gardenia as her father are terrific. This movie is funny, charming and therefore highly enjoyable.

Another boring love story. This so boring. The story is line awful. Boy meets girl. Boy losses girl. Boy greats girl back and it is a happy ending. Boring. Do not see this movie. It is not a 7.1 that is just overrating it. This movie is nothing a hyped love story. It will bore you to tears. I give 1 out of 10. Because it is a great big pile of pooh. It is so stink. It is stinky pooh. Do not see it. It is pooh pooh. I need more lines and I am running out of thing to say. This movie is pooh pooh. Do not wast your time. Do not wast your money. It is pooh pooh. I will bore you out of your mind. Do not see it. You have been warned.

When the above line is uttered by a tearful, elderly character at the end of this wonderful, funny, charming romantic comedy, I laughed so hard, my ribs hurt. The film is a heart warming look at a quirky Italian-American family in Brooklyn that happens to be going through some relationship issues. It is a multi-layered story with some terrific vignettes and the script, cast and performances are all first rate. Cher, Olympia Dukakis (both Oscar winners), Vincent Gardenia and Danny Aiello have rarely, if ever, been better and the tuneful and romantic score is an added treat. This is a must-see and another gem from the great director Jewison.