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Cocktail
Often reputed as one of the worst films on Tom Cruise's resume, the 1988 romantic comedy Cocktail goes a long ways on Cruise's charisma but ultimately is dragged down by a screenplay that's not sure what kind of story it wants to tell.
Cruise plays Brian Flanagan, a military vet who arrives in New York City to conquer the business world but because of his lack of education and experience finds all those doors closing to him. One day after hitting the bricks all day, Brian walks into a trendy upper east side tavern and is hired by bartender/manager Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown) to tend bar despite no experience in that area either.
Of course, Brian becomes the most popular bartender in Manhattan in about 20 minutes but a misunderstanding with Doug finds them parting ways and Brian moving to Jamaica to be a bartender where he finds romance with a vacationing New York waitress (Elisabeth Shue) and a wealthy, older fashion executive (Lisa Banes).
Heywood Gould's rambling screenplay is just trying to tell too many stories here. First it seems like we're going to get a story about how hard it is to get a job in Manhattan without a degree or experience and then we see the guy get hired to be a bartender right off the street and within a week is flipping liquor bottles like a pro and like being a bartender is the noblest profession there is. Then we have the story of the guy risking possible true love for a woman with a fat bank account. Frankly, the story of how to be a great bartender is the most entertaining aspect of the story; unfortunately Gould doesn't trust his own story and director Roger Donaldson doesn't seem to trust the chemistry between his stars.
The chemistry between Cruise and Brown is surprisingly solid and their do or die friendship that is the supposed anchor this story often defies logic, but the undying loyalty that these guys have for each other is kind of ingratiating and I think if the film had focused more on this story instead of these paper-thin romances that Brian has, this movie had the potential to be something really special.
Cruise is almost always worth watching and this film is no exception, I just wish the director and screenwriter had invested a little more in his chemistry with Brown than with the empty-headed Shue, whose lifeless performances does nothing to endear her to the proceedings. There is some lovely Manhattan and Jamaican scenery and the film is also rich with some really bad covers of some of the biggest hit songs of the 1980's. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it's no Citizen Kane either.
Often reputed as one of the worst films on Tom Cruise's resume, the 1988 romantic comedy Cocktail goes a long ways on Cruise's charisma but ultimately is dragged down by a screenplay that's not sure what kind of story it wants to tell.
Cruise plays Brian Flanagan, a military vet who arrives in New York City to conquer the business world but because of his lack of education and experience finds all those doors closing to him. One day after hitting the bricks all day, Brian walks into a trendy upper east side tavern and is hired by bartender/manager Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown) to tend bar despite no experience in that area either.
Of course, Brian becomes the most popular bartender in Manhattan in about 20 minutes but a misunderstanding with Doug finds them parting ways and Brian moving to Jamaica to be a bartender where he finds romance with a vacationing New York waitress (Elisabeth Shue) and a wealthy, older fashion executive (Lisa Banes).
Heywood Gould's rambling screenplay is just trying to tell too many stories here. First it seems like we're going to get a story about how hard it is to get a job in Manhattan without a degree or experience and then we see the guy get hired to be a bartender right off the street and within a week is flipping liquor bottles like a pro and like being a bartender is the noblest profession there is. Then we have the story of the guy risking possible true love for a woman with a fat bank account. Frankly, the story of how to be a great bartender is the most entertaining aspect of the story; unfortunately Gould doesn't trust his own story and director Roger Donaldson doesn't seem to trust the chemistry between his stars.
The chemistry between Cruise and Brown is surprisingly solid and their do or die friendship that is the supposed anchor this story often defies logic, but the undying loyalty that these guys have for each other is kind of ingratiating and I think if the film had focused more on this story instead of these paper-thin romances that Brian has, this movie had the potential to be something really special.
Cruise is almost always worth watching and this film is no exception, I just wish the director and screenwriter had invested a little more in his chemistry with Brown than with the empty-headed Shue, whose lifeless performances does nothing to endear her to the proceedings. There is some lovely Manhattan and Jamaican scenery and the film is also rich with some really bad covers of some of the biggest hit songs of the 1980's. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it's no Citizen Kane either.