She's So Lovely

In no way is she so lovely, both in physical looks and personality. Sean Penn and wife Robin Wright Penn star in this Nick Cassavetes’ film written by his late father John Cassavetes.

She So Lovely is a love story by some means, but it’s more of a character study of two characters, Sean Penn’s Eddie and Robin Wright Penn’s Maureen. Eddie and Maureen are married, and Eddie is often a very jealous man, who has violent outbreaks. Maureen is raped early on in the film and when Eddie finds outs, we know what’s going to happen. So does Maureen, she calls the authorities on Eddie, and he is caught. Eddie is put into an institution and Maureen moves on in life.

John Travolta’s name is featured prominently when this film is advertised, and that was one of the reasons that I went to see the film. Unfortunately, Travolta shows up very late in the film, and spends only thirty or so minutes on screen. Compounding this, Travolta really had nothing to do but drink, smoke, and being angry.

Nick Cassavetes, whom you saw as the bald gangster in this summer’s Face/Off, takes the reigns, and directs his late father’s script. Nick does a good job of keeping the film moving along, but the script is somewhat weak. The last half seems tacked on and adlibbed.

Sean Penn is the biggest reason to see She’s So Lovely. He does a great job with his role going through the many stages of his character, from caring and loving to angry and violent to sedated and free going.

The “she” that is referred to in the title is Maureen. Robin Wright does a good job with her character also, inserting all sorts of ticks and gestures to the character. Her character is filmed the opposite of lovely, often filmed to look pare, skinny, and plain. Lovely she’s not. And as you get to know Maureen more, she’s not beautiful inside, often drinking too much, smoking too much, and leaving responsibilities.

She’s So Lovely is definitely not a date movie, it is often depressing. And though there is definitely love between Eddie and Maureen, we get to know them well, and in the end it doesn’t matter if they are in love or not, we just don’t like them. She’s So Lovely is not a film that I can say that I can recommend. But, it is also not a film that I can say to pass up. Catch this one on video when it comes out.