DeuceWild_77 Let me start to say that this little 'under the radar' black comedy flick, it's one of my all time favorites from the genre and a severly underrated film that deserved a much better praise and needs to be rediscovered as a comedy gold cult film nowadays.Lawrence Kasdan, who never disappointed (at least during the 80's, until the mid 90's) directed this quirky story based on actual facts about an italian womanizer, Joey Boca (Kline), the chauvinist owner of a Pizza Parlor, who repeatedly cheats on his devoted wife, Rosalie (Ullman), even if her loyal employer, Devo (Phoenix) and his eccentric mother, Nadja (Plowright) were trying to warn her against Joey's way of life. When Rosalie catches him cheating on her in a public library, she bows to revenge for years of infidelity and with the support of Mother Nadja, Devo and two doped (un)professional killers (Reeves & Hurt) they plan to eliminate him, but a sinful task like this, will not be easy to concretize...Kasdan was always a great director of actors, since his debut in "Body Heat" ('81) to "The Big Chill" ('83), "Silverado" ('85) or "The Accidental Tourist" ('88), his entire cast always gave superb performances way adequated to the given material and "I Love You to Death" is not an exception. Kevin Kline, one of the funniest actors that ever graced the screen, fresh from his truly deserved Oscar win for "A Fish Called Wanda" the year before and collaborating with the director for the 3rd time, is splendid and hilarious playing Joey Boca, a derivative performance of his Otto character from "Wanda", but equally effective and stealing every scene he's in.Tracey Ullman is impressive in her first co-leading role in a theatrical released picture, but veteran Dame Joan Plowright as her cranky Serbo-Croatian Mother Nadja, delivers a marvellous performance, her responses and facial expressions' are a riot to follow.River Phoenix is ok playing Devo, practically playing himself at that time. William Hurt (joining Kasdan for the 4th time) & Keanu Reeves as the two hippie druggies, play one of the most memorable screen duo in a comedy movie ever (Cheech & Chong next to them look like a pair of lucid fellas), it needs to be seen to be believed, even the always subpar, Keanu, delivers here probably one of his best performances, some may say that he's just playing a part of himself, but so as River, the main difference is that the River's role and performance are bland & merely passable and Keanu is extremely amusing.The movie also features an early appearance on-screen by Heather Graham and a cameo by Phoebe Cates (from the "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" & "Gremlins" fame), the real life wife of lead star, Kevin Kline, who shot the scene with her husband in a break of filming "Drop Dead Fred" ('91).The music score by James Horner is spot-on to the events on the screen and largely contribute to the burlesque feeling of the whole.In short, "I Love You to Death" is a skillfully directed farce from a delightfully immoral screenplay from John Kostmayer and a 'must-see' for fans of such movies as "A Fish Called Wanda" ('88); "Weekend at Bernie's" ('89); "Oscar" ('91) or "My Cousin Vinny" ('92). If you not find this movie funny, you surely needs to check your head.My rate is a 9.5, near the perfection of a 10 star movie !!

ShannonTriumphant Knowing Lawrence Kasdan ("The Big Chill", "Grand Canyon", "Raiders of the Lost Ark") wrote and directed this, I knew it would be good, but was not prepared for how absolutely hysterical it is.Kline is at his accent-slinging (remember "A Fish Called Wanda"?) best as Joey Boca, the Tacoma "Pizza Man" who compulsively cheats on his overly trusting wife, Rosalie (Tracey Ullman). She would seem pathetic if not buoyed up by her opinionated and competent, "Eurasian" mother, Mama Nadja (Joan Plowright) and the funky young Devo (River Phoenix), who has a crush on Rosalie.SPOILERS!!! Even before the murder attempt, the gags abound, with Joey guilelessly schmoozing with the two cops who are just DYING to tell Rosalie about her husband's extracurricular activities.After Joey is seen with one of his dates by Rosalie, she swears to kill him, with Mama Nadja's full blessing, and offer to help. First, Nadja hires a friend's grandson to kill Joey, but the guy shows up in an Abraham Lincoln mask and a baseball bat, misses and runs away. Nadja then goes out and wires Joey's car to blow up, only to have Rosalie hop in it the next morning with Joey. Luckily, Nadja's bomb-making skills aren't 100%.Rosalie: "Why didn't you TELL me you were going to blow the car up?" Nadja: "I thought it would be nice surprise." Then there is the seemingly endless night in which Mama and Rosalie wait for their poison spaghetti sauce to take effect, in which Joey eats tons of it but keeps rallying, forcing them to play Monopoly and even waking up to wander around and offer snacks to his "guests", after the drug-addled Harlan (William Hurt), hired by Devo, shoots him. His spaced-out cousin Marlon (Keanu Reeves) is a bit over--or rather under--the top, but still quite funny, as he helps Harlan figure out were the heart is (to shoot Joey) by reciting a very botched Pledge of Allegiance ("With amber graves of liberty...and deliver us from Freedom. Amen").The film flags a bit after Joey ends up in the hospital, with his mother (Miriam Margolies) alternately hugging him and whacking his head. Victoria Jackson has a nice bit as the dizzy lover who asks Joey why he stays with his wife if he cheats.The ending could only come from real life (which it did) and as Joey says to Devo, "No more shooting' me in the head, okay?" he is still met with skepticism: "Why not? It seems to have helped." And Mama Nadja is not quite convinced of Joey's reform. "What if he cheats again?" Devo asks. "Then we shoot him again." she replies, half-joking.For the lighter side of infidelity and some great comic performances, not to mention memorable quotes (Nadja: Did you see what he looked like? Joey: Yeaah...he looked like Abraham Lincoln...comin' up to bat.), this film is a must-see.

ccthemovieman-1 A surprise hit....at least with me. I found this dark comedy hilarious in spots and so-so in others, but overall a funny movie. With comedy that's what happens anyway: some jokes connect; others don't. Most are pretty good in here but beware: some of the jokes are in poor taste, but that's a dark comedy for you. Also, some Catholics might be offended because the film takes some shots at them, or at least people who go overboard in rationalizing their sins, as Kevin Kline does in here.There is an odd assortment of actors in here and they all contribute to the fun: Kline, Tracey Ullman, William Hurt, River Phoenix, Keannu Reeves, Joan Plowright and James Gammon.Supposedly, this film was based on a real-life happening, which makes it all the more interesting and lending credence to the saying that "truth is stranger than fiction."Plowright almost steals the show from Kline and Ullman, the husband-and-wife team who have problems because of Kline's persistent cheating on her. Plowright in Ullman's mother and has some of the best lines in the film as mother and daughter plot how to kill the immoral Kline.Phoenis plays a young New Age devotee and Hurt and Reeves are funny as two totally stoned-out hit men. Hurt is particularly good.This movie is so-so to start until Ullman finds her husband cheating. Then, after a heart-wrenching minute or so, she and her mother plot to kill the unfaithful spouse. The comedy then goes full out as they hire these really goofy hit men and things don't go smoothly. The ending is quite different and quite touching with a very good message....which is all I will say in case you haven't seen this.

Rosemary (zelda1964) I saw this film and to tell you the truth,it is hilarious;Not because My mother is named Rosalie, and the leading actor plays a character from an Italian family(my mom happens to be of Italian descent).The mother in laws in the film really crack me up. One funny scene was when Joey's mom slaps him around as he is suffering in pain at the hospital. Then, she wonders why He fell after she went too far. Plowright is a great actress and is comical as Ullman's mother.Her final line is great "Then,we shoot him". Kline gave a cute line saying "it proves that America was founded by one italian and discovered by another". He is great as the oblivious victim, and you almost feel sorry for him.I had a chuckle watching this film and I own a tape of this one,crazy movie. I recommend it heartily.