I Love Trouble
Many critics didn't like I Love Trouble and so not many people went to see it. But now that it is out on home video, I hope it gets a second chance. This movie is fun and perfect for the whole family. There's nothing really offensive in the movie, and the cast makes the movie very entertaining. Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) makes the movie worth watching because she has a great comedic skill that was discovered in Pretty Woman. Her reactions to all the situations are great and funny. Even when the movie takes a turn and becomes a thriller, she keeps some of the humor from the first half of the movie.
The movie opens as the son of a teacher who had died boards a train with a briefcase full of interesting things. The train car unhooks from the rest of the train and derails. Soon, the media knows all about it, including the Chicago Globe and Chicago Chronicle, two rival newspaper agencies (Siskel and Ebert made a comment about this movie but they still didn't like it). The Chronicle sends Peter Brackett (Nick Nolte), a famous columnist who has lost his love for the journalism work. The Globe sends Sabrina Peterson (Julia Roberts), a newcomer to the Globe.
Brackett interviews the only survivor of the crash, a newlywed who just lost his bride. When he spots Peterson, he immediately becomes attracted to her. But he finds out that she isn't interested, and so they become bitter rivals. The movie keeps a nice tone around things and makes everything seem like it's prepared for a romantic comedy, which it is, until it becomes a thriller. The first half of the movie is lightweight and sometimes even hilarious, especially when they outscoop each other. The second half is full of thrills that seems out of place from the first half, but the transformation is subtle and we don't really care that the movie has changed.
I'll admit that I like the first half more than the second because it was funny to watch Peterson outscoop the veteran Brackett. Brackett is enraged and tries to scoop Peterson, and fails miserably. The competition between the two is very funny and I wonder why the film makers decided to add the thrilling climax. However, the second half is scary and at one moment in the film, I actually hit my face with my knee (it's a long story and I don't have time to explain).
So what exactly makes all this fit together? I think the actors deserve the credit on this one. Julia Roberts, who is probably the best female star (Michelle Pfeiffer is right behind her), provides most of the comedy in the film. Demi Moore is getting paid more than her, but Moore seems to be in a career slump. Nick Nolte, however, is up there with Roberts and isn't one of those tag-a-long characters. He has tricks up his sleeve, including a wild goose chase for Roberts. The chemistry between these two actors is remarkable and sweet and the viewers know that they have to end up with each other. Saul Rubinek provides a good character and some adversity between the two main actors.
I Love Trouble is rated PG. There is some language in the film, but nothing offensive. There are moments of violence and scariness which might be too much for little kids (and maybe big kids too). Overall, though, the movie is funny and thrilling and the actors hold the movie together. Maybe if the director had kept to the romantic-comedy side of the film, the movie could have made a lot more money than it did.