Predrag This is one of the lesser known and appreciated screen gems of the 90's. It's a superior romantic-comedy-drama which stars screen legend Al Pacino and screen goddess Michelle Pfeiffer. The movie is so much more about the love story. It is a very perceptive movie about people who are lonely and people who are trapped into their own lives. The movie has an achingly melancholic mood. Pfeiffer was phenomenal and proved that she deserved the part. Her beauty was toned down to make her look as ordinary as possible. The character she played has so much depth and layer that is pretty uncommon for films generally regarded as romance films. Pacino of course was good, this is his and Pfeiffer's second team up after "Scarface" of course I love the fact that he played the role with such ease and charm which is a lot different from his more serious roles before. The supporting actors Nathan Lane and Kate Nelligan stole some scenes.There are some lovely moments,. I liked the scene in the flower market, where the two are standing together and the metal door slides up to display a dazzling backdrop of red and orange flowers. Also, the final scene with the toothbrushes and Claire de Lune is nicely done. Pfeiffer is particularly good here and Pacino backs her up all the way. Still there are so many hackneyed clichés. Perhaps its just that we have seen so many films, good ones in which people are more realistically portrayed that it's annoying to see so many old-timey stock types: the good hearted gay buddy, the good hearted but slutty waitress buddy, the good hearted Greek restaurant owner, the good hearted homely waitress buddy, the good-hearted Puerto-Rican busboy and the good-hearted black busboy. Then there are the good hearted clients. If they had gone for realistic characterizations of some of these people rather than going for heart-warming "types" this could have been a much better film. I blame Garry Marshall for this. Pacino and Pfeiffer did their best to bring some class to this film.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

tandrei2001 Although I am a fan of both lead actors, I think that Al Pacino is not suitable in the role of a lover. He is simply too persuasive and while desperately trying to convince Frankie about his love he anticipates his upcoming brilliant performances as devil's advocate or merchand of Venice. The movies is saved by some humorous scenes and by Michelle Pfeiffer who plays the role of the lonely woman in her late 30's disappointed by love, but still hoping for the miracle in her life. Some of the dialogs seemed very unnatural in the context and the sex scene between those 2 is simply horrible IMHO. I got the feeling all of the time, that Frankie is trying to convince herself that this is it, just because she is out of options at her age, so she ultimately accepts this big mouth guy in her life. I am rating it 5 because of the failed romance due to Al's exhaustive talking and predictable "happy end".

Michael Neumann A popular Broadway romantic comedy is transformed by star treatment into Grade-A Hollywood fluff: well crafted, undemanding, and totally predictable. One requirement of the face lift was the casting of the more fashionably attractive (i.e. more bankable) Michelle Pfeiffer in a role designed originally for Kathy Bates, a move which drew criticism from viewers unfamiliar with Hollywood means and methods. Big movies need big stars, who in turn need to protect their fragile reputations, so the revamped character of Frankie, supposedly slinging hash in a New York City deli, is now a disappointed romantic unaware that Prince Charming (in the unpolished guise of a short-order cook) is about to rescue her. Al Pacino's Johnny is likewise simply too perfect: everyone adores him on sight, so it's only a matter of time before Frankie learns to do the same. But, character quibbles aside, the film works very well on its own terms, and writer Terrance McNally has to be commended for opening up his play in a way that effectively conceals its stage origins.

Neil Welch Frankie and Johnny is a simple love story - incorrigible romantic Johnny, working as a short order cook in a Greek restaurant following his release from prison, sets his sights on waitress Frankie despite the fact that she is clearly bruised by the experiences of her life. Will his positiveness overcome her negativity? In an effort to be objective, I have to say that I don't find the character of Johnny easy to believe in - you could specify the qualities you want in the bloke to rescue your damaged psyche from the walls you are building for self-protection, and Johnny has all those qualities plus a handful more for good measure. But Al Pacino invests him with such magnetic presence that it is easy to overlook this.Michelle Pfeiffer's Frankie, on the other hand, is all too believable, both in the construction of the character - wounded, hurting, and scared of having those wounds reopened - and in its performance. Pfeiffer is almost too painful to watch.The gentle humour which runs through Frankie And Johnny makes the painful emotional heart easier to bear, but this would ultimately be a bleak piece were it not for the hopeful note upon which it ends.The supporting cast are solid, and the screenplay has been opened up nicely from the source stage play.