On C List of Movie Reviews
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Cousins (1989)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
5/20
5/20:
Initially, I thought Ted Danson was just a TV actor, but after seeing Cousins, I was dead wrong.
It's one of the greatest romantic and also funniest movies made, being the main precursor of Hugh Grant's British classic
Four Weddings and a Funeral. Then again, it's a remake of a French film
called Cousin cousine that I haven't seen.
Electrifying is the chemistry between Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini. It's easy to see their characters are made
for each other. They steal every scene when together. So, why aren't there Oscar nominations for them? It's
incredible. Then again, 1989 was a tough year.
The cast is impeccable and has a great beat, giving the film a lively pace. Some of the best performances come from Norma
Aleandro, Lloyd Bridges, Keith Coogan, and Gina DeAngeles. Not to be missed are William Petersen and Sean Young who play
shallow characters; they're meant to be together.
While watching the film, I often wondered why it was called Cousins. Because there are many family members involved,
I've had a hard time figuring out the relations. Now, I see that Maria's mother married Larry's father's brother. It makes
them cousins but technically speaking, they're step-cousins. After the brother died and then Larry's father married Maria's mother,
Larry and Maria became step-siblings. To think of incest between them is moot because there's no bloodline involved.
All in all, I didn't know that Joel Schumacher had it in him, but he finally directed a winner in Cousins.