Hugo Pool (1997)

Judging from the range of comments on Hugo Pool they seem to run the gamut. As a film, it's not the kind of thing I'd usually watch, but it did contain some rather strange characters.Alyssa Milano in between her stints as Tony Danza's daughter in Who's The Boss and one of the Halliwell sisters in Charmed was cast in the lead by director Robert Downey, Sr. She seems to have taken complete charge of the pool cleaning company that is a family business because dad (Malcolm McDowell) is reverting to being a teenager and mom (Cathy Moriarty) can't control her gambling addiction. In fact she either has to come up with the money or sleep with the bookie.Anyway somebody has to step up to the plate and Alyssa seems the only one likely to do so. She's got a lot of customers out there in Nevada who want to use their swimming pools because of the heat and who need them cleaned.Anyway on her route she meets Patrick Dempsey who even with Lou Gehrig's disease is not about to miss out on all the good things in life. In fact one of only two parts of his anatomy are untouched by amytrophic lateral sclerosis, his brain and the love muscle. In fact the second has some remarkable staying power as he informs us.Hugo Pool is the story of all these characters and the day they spend together. It's an interesting tale and maybe had it been done in a more straightforward and romantic way, I might have liked the film better.Still it's not the fault of the cast who give some very good performances. Not mentioned by me before are Robert Downey, Jr. as an egotistical movie director and Sean Penn as a hitchhiker Malcolm McDowell picks up. Dig those sky blue shoes that Penn wears.Hugo Pool might be your cup of tea, it wasn't quite mine though.

Intentionally stupid dialogues remain stupid anyway, purposefully idiotic plot is idiotic all the same and deliberately foolish heroes stay fools all the way through. For an hour and a half we see not a single motivated action and very little of any unmotivated action too. The only credible personage is one played by somewhat balmy Sean Penn. An apotheosis of bad taste comes when a paralytic wants to take a leak, so poppa and momma prop him up while Hugo Dugay is rummaging for his pissing gimmick. Mercifully we're saved from seeing his penis but are forced to hear horrible comments about his urination anyway. Alyssa Milano, Sean Penn, Malcolm McDowell, Robert Downey Jr - what a waste of talent.

This is a little babe of a movie, the kind that comes on at 1 am and you can't turn it off. Very inventive casting. McDowell and Penn are delightful as are Moriority and Milano. Then, you also have Downey, Jr, Dempsey, and Lewis (AND Chuck Barris). A zany cast of "characters"! I was impressed with how handily Milano carried herself and led this cast.

I have to confess I unabashedly LOVE this flick! Written & directed by Downey, Sr, this movie is a hoot!Full of delightfully bizarre characters, this is a great afternoon or evening's diversion. Alyssa Milano, the proprietress of the title pool cleaning company, is the glue that holds the wacky cast together. Every featured performance is memorable in a completely over the top manner.