Customer Reviews (62) 
Cry Me A River
In what has now become my standard opening line doing this retrospective of Jeff Bridge's film work I will simply repeat here what I have said before. I have spilled much ink this year, in the wake of his Oscar victory in the role of broken down country singer-songwriter, Bad Blake, in the film Crazy Hearts , arguing that Bridges had been preparing for that role since he first broke out as the futuregood ol' boy, Duane Jackson, in The Last Picture Show. That thread in his work comes to something ofhalt here as Bridges, and brother Beau, play a brother team of lounge lizard show tune piano-players going nowhere fast in the hard scrabble work of small venue musical gigs. East Coast version, mainly New York City and its environs. Bridges' here plays a more abstracted, more world-weary and wary, catch in a place that he doesn't want to be, life has passed him by, more existential anti-heroic role.
You know, now that I think of it, what this low rent brother act could use is a female singer, a torch singer. And of course the plot line in what would otherwise be an unexceptional film brings in just such a singer in the person of Michelle Pfeiffer to spice up the act. The tensions, including the obvious sexual tensions between Jeff and Michelle drive most of the film. And at that level this becomes a better than average film. But the real reason that I liked the film is, as I have mentioned in other reviews, I am a sucker for a torch singer. From Bessie Smith to Billie Holiday to Peggy Lee in her Benny Goodman days, hell, even Rosemary Clooney when she was in the mood could (can) always chase away the blues. Now enter one fetching torch singer, one slinky, fetching torch singer, one cry me a river fetching torch singer and I am a goner. Add in a scene with said torch singer dressed in a come hither devilishly red dress singing atop old Jeff's piano on New Year's and, well, be still my heart. I could add more but under doctor's advice I have to wait until my blood pressure subsidesOh ya, before I forget Jeff (and Beau) did a good job acting here. But it's really about that silky-voiced, sultry dame, okay.Enough said.
Classic Lounge Act Story
For anyone who ever tried to parlay any sort of musical talent into a monetarily rewarding venture, this film is for you. Whether you are the proverbial "weekend warrior" musician or a renowned and financially secure artist, you have to go through all the metaphorical "hoops" to get wherever you are. Beau, Jeff and Michelle ever so poignantly take you through those hoops in an utterly realistic, no-holds barred fashion. How many groups have you seen like this: the average-joe player who gets the gigs basically due to his business acumen; the prodigy who seems to disdain all beneath him, which to him is just about everybody; the chanteuse who pretty much wants to have it "my way or the highway"; the endless and sundry flock of wannabee auditioners who need just one chance to prove themselves? Sound familiar? Then you need to watch and absorb this one-of-a kind movie.
Beau and Jeff are so realistic in their roles that you have to wonder if the two of them, brothers in real life, actually did musical gigs together when they were younger. It seems as if sibling warfare in real life spills over in this drama. The mounting tension among the three principals is deftly crafted by the director/writer, Steve Cloves, who carefully and slowly weaves his story line to include not only musical issues but also how all this tension affects other facets of their lives. The supporting characters, whom many other reviewers have noted, are superb in their more minimal yet effective roles. No wasted motion in a simultaneously tough and tender movie. But all the above would go for much less were it not for Dave Grusin's gorgeous sound track and keyboard renderings especially as they pertain to the ever so hauntingly soulful recurring theme. All this good stuff takes me back to the days of my lounge lizard gigs, days that I'll always cherish, the good with the not so good!
The Fabulous Baker Boys
I bought this video for my friend's 60th birthday, since she is a Jeff Bridges fan and he was up for an academy award.Not having her address handy, I had the DVD shipped to myself and then mailed it to her (she lives in California and I'm in Kentucky).
She respondedin an email by telling me she and her husband tried to watch the video but it had a defect in it that made it stop at a certain part during the movie. So it wasn't a very good present.
Since we don't phone or write frequently, that's the last I've heard of it. I notice that Amazon has a return policy where you can send back the DVD and receive either a replacement or a cash refund.None of those options works here since basically I'd be telling her to go to the trouble of mailing it back.
I'm sorry it was defective. I wasn't expecting that. It will influence my readiness to purchase from Amazon in the future.
The Fabulous Baker Boys; or, the Art of the Cliche
When a film lacks originality, everything else just feels bored.This is the case with the Oscar-nominated film (for best Actress) "The Fabulous Baker Boys", and why it remains merely a speck in cinematic history.In this tired tale, two brothers - semi-content with playing a lounge or two here or there - living in the past, consider the option of bringing a female singer into the act.One is the organizer, one is the chain-smoking wild-card that continually impresses the ladies, yet has a stronger passion for the keys.It won't take a rocket scientist to realize which is which based on mere talent alone.Throw into the mix a husky female singer, a mistaken love, and chaos between a seemingly stable piano act.As our film winds down, cliché over recycled cliché is used to tear these brothers apart, and slowly bring them back together - in an awkward way.While the film boasts collaboration between two of Hollywood's biggest brothers (one a recent Oscar winner), great piano music, and the quintessential red-dress-on-piano scene, what this film actually delivers is merely a tired script, an overused plot devise, and lines that could have been promoted by anyone with an Acting 101 degree. While the concept seems dramatic, the final result of this feature (despite the numerous awards) felt disappointing.Brotherly love destroyed by inevitable change?Guess what?Seen it all before - and better!
Despite the negative introduction, there were a couple of small elements to this film that worked, ensuring that "The Fabulous Baker Boys" was more than just a one-star movie.Bridges, muscled down by the day-to-day life of being a piano player, is watchable.His apathy towards all situations coupled with his "Joe Cool" smoking-attitude, creates the correct amount of tension with unknown to keep the plot slowly moving in the right direction.Beau, the weaker big-screen actor (better able to manage the television roles), tries to keep up, but what tries to be anger ends up just being a man with big eyes and anger-spit.But, on with the positives...the Bridges' music was, for lack of a better word, fabulous.Without making the guess if it was them playing, the tone of each of the songs respectively worked in their scenes.Along with the music, the visions of LA worked to show that in a city that never sleeps, these two brothers will always have work.Keep the drinks flowing, and you are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
With some slight parts to make you enjoy the hour and a half of a band's destruction, the rest just crumbled quickly.To begin, while the pairing of Beau and Jeff seemed powerful on paper, the screen told otherwise.Absolutely, the two were able to play their respective roles well - Jeff the darkened, smoking, looming brother - while Beau played the optimist, looking to keep his dream (or business) alive.The issue with the Bridges' is that they are too far apart.There is never a scene to show their chemistry together as amazing pianists.Instead, we see through posters that at once they were happy, but those days are long gone.We begin our film on a downtrodden note, and it never quite picks itself up from that even when the brothers seem to be back on top again.Director Steve Kloves never gives us, the audience, an opportunity to cheer for Jeff and Beau's happiness. Instead, we are forced to suffer right along with them, picking ourselves up after each depressing hour.The same can be said for Pfeiffer, and while Oscar-nomination, Golden Globe-winning, still means something - her portrayal of Susie Diamond just wasn't breakthrough enough to be remembered after 1990.The prostitute-turned-singer routine has been done in Hollywood, over and over and over; and not to sound repetitive, better.Pfeiffer's husky voice (at times in tune, at times not), and butch demeanor, did create a sex-symbol, but instead another tragic character.While I agree, the story isn't conducive to happiness; somebody should have considered it as an opportunity to see these characters differently.It would have added a new layer to their characters, allowing for a stronger emotional punch at the end.
As our characters floundered through their roles, playing piano and off-beat singing, the story was another part that just fell short - forcing our characters to have mixed material to work with and missed character opportunity."The Fabulous Baker Boys" as a film doesn't work, as a television mini-series perhaps it would have been better.There is too much left on the table from writer-director Kloves that nothing evolves.Scenes like upstairs neighbor of Jeff's that is like his mother, busting the dog out of the vet, smelling bathroom equipment, and destroying memorabilia, look good on paper, but without the correct backing just doesn't feel finished.That is the overall feel with "Baker Boys", a sense that scenes, moments, and plot-points went unfinished.Kloves isn't the best in handling the talent he has hired.From leaving cameramen in shots to overusing the piano music, Kloves believes in his work (there is no argument there), but his execution is fallible.Why would you use piano music as your theme music when the Bridges are playing piano music as well?This was horrible.With strong keys being played by the brothers, the cheesy background music just diluted the overall feel.It is the perfect example of having authentic reality and a cheap knock-off.With lacking characters, it would be up to Kloves to cover the differences, but he can't control what is happening.His camera direction, musical focus, and story have too many flawed plot holes that instead of a creative story, we are left with a sad overused cliché.I would agree that these boys are "Fabulous", but Kloves couldn't prove it.His scientific directional equation remains a hypothesis.
VIDEO:With cheap VHS quality of DVD, a lackluster story, and mixed characters."The Fabulous Baker Boys" failed in its attempts to prove to me that at this moment, the band had to be destroyed.Perhaps they should have been on a "Mission from God".
VISUAL:For being an Oscar-nominated film, the transfer was horrid.The quality is similar to finding this film on VHS (probably where it is most comfortable), and while you can scratch the surface and see the talent - our actors just don't bring it.The graininess of their decisions corrupts the story even further, making the final output unmemorable.
SOUND:The key element to this film actually sounds pretty good with the Bridges brothers are playing, but it is Kloves disappointing use of similar piano music in the background which becomes tiresome to the ears.Creating tension to here the Bridges play would mean little to no background music, but the diluted extra music fails to make this a film about pianos and for pianos.Instead, it is like going to Chuck-E-Cheese and having too much pizza.
EXTRA:Nothing.Languages, if you consider those extras is all we are given for this award-winning film.Bummer.
Overall, I wasn't a fan of this film.Bridges is like a modern Gene Hackman, while the film may not be good, he continually shows that he can be good in anything, alas, not everyone could keep up (even our director).Our mood, music, and plot points were all misused and poorly developed.Our story, cliché after cliché, didn't feel original or exciting.There needed to be some brightness at the end of our tunnel, but nobody could demonstrate this."The Fabulous Baker Boys" could have been a shifting film for everyone, but it just wasn't able to contain the solid nature of the work.It was corrosive and disappointing.
Grade: * ½ out of *****
A real acting lesson by Jeff Bridges
Lots of folks comment on the piano playing, which is a delight, and most everyone has commented on Michelle Pfeiffer, and well they should.It was a stunning breakthrough film for her and remains, for me, one of her best.But it isn't the best performance in the film.That honor goes to Jeff Bridges, who does everything to flesh out an unfleshed out character.The one weakness in Steve Kloves's self-directed script is that the younger Baker Brother has oodles of talent and a chip on his shoulder, yet we never discover why.Where did it come from?Why has he stayed with his brother for so long?What trauma or event caused him to stay at a job that is clearly beneath him, working with a brother he has clearly outgrown?We're never given even a minor clue.And it's a tribute to Bridge's economical, precisely calibrated portrayal that while we're watching, we don't care.
Actors with cigarettes hanging out of their mouth are usually walking cliches. Yet when Bridges sits at the piano with the cigarette dangling, his fingers tickling the ivories in the same arrangements his brother has insisted on for the past 15 years, his face a sullen mask while his tired eyes tune out his brother's tired comic patter, you get the immediate impression that in smoking, he's blowing impotent defiance his brother's way. That's a real acting choice and a funny, ironic one.We chuckle at his character's enigmatic passive aggression right on through...until the colors reveal some heavy duty self-loathing and Pfeiffer's character busts him...You could interpret the last scene as either hopeful or despairing, and that's the wonder of it.
Twenty years ago I loved the piano playing and Michelle Pfeiffer.I still love those elements now, but when you watch this film, pay close attention to everything Jeff Bridges does.It's a marvel.
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