Town & Country (2001)

Town and Country (2001): Dir: Peter Chelsom / Cast: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Gary Shandling, Goldie Hawn, Nastassja Kinski: Misfire comedy about the life that those around us can see and the life that we hide. Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton have been married for twenty-five years. Their friends played by Gary Shandling and Goldie Hawn are getting a divorce because he was caught cheating. What she doesn't know is that he is gay. Central plot regards Beatty's affair with Hawn and the predictable clichés to follow. Director Peter Chelsom previously made The Mighty but here he does a half wit job. The climax has everyone at the same convention where Shandling beams out that he's gay. Beatty actually passes here as he goes from devoted husband to secretive lover. After he ends his affair with Hawn he becomes involved with a young cello player. Keaton is basically the wife absent minded to her husband's antics. Shandling is a complete miscast because his brand of humour doesn't fit with his co-stars thus coming off as overkill. Hawn steals her moments as she suspects her husband having an affair all the while involved in one herself. Nastassja Kinski shows up to be involved in an affair with Beatty. Theme of struggling marriages works but the story is slow with humour that renders it a repulsive farce. Locations are top notch but screenplay is not. Score: 5 / 10

Sometimes, the majority is absolutely, dead-on correct, and in this case, the majority had it nailed.This movies has "too many cooks" written all over it, *right from the opening credits*. Three producers and three executive producers? Still, they needn't fear--there's plenty of blame to go around.One is not supposed to include spoilers in a review--but it's your time that will be spoiled if you make the mistake of watching this fiasco.Even if I could summarize this mess in 1,000 words, you wouldn't believe me. It makes "The First Wives Club" seem like "Citizen Kane". The plot, such as it is, involves two long-time married couples who play nice together but who are hopelessly bungling their marriages. As if anyone cares. And just when you think it can't get any worse or less coherent, it does. And does. And does.I had to wonder whether this movies was "The Producers" for real--maybe they oversold this turkey by 10,000% and kept the proceeds after it dive-bombed like C. Wade McCluskey at Midway.

Saw this twice yesterday on IFC. Who knew a $90 million budget qualified as an independent? The roads and schools and hospitals and fresh water systems $90 million could have built in some third-world country, these bozos decided that $90 million would be better spent on this stinker!The characters are selfish or self-absorbed or sex-crazed or just plain nuts! And like the rotten cherry on top, Charlton Heston is a gun-toting wacko who has a less-than healthy relationship with his "Buttons".For a film supposedly about the consequences of infidelity, it wimps out. Alex cheerfully tells Porter she's preggers, then cheerfully reveals he isn't the daddy. Such jaw-dropping stupidity makes you question your faith in humanity.No doubt, Warren Beatty snared ex-paramours Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn so his massive ego could justify hooking up with women young enough to be his grand-daughters, then hired Peter Chelsom because Alan Smithee was unavailable. With "friends" like Shirley's baby bro, you don't need any enemies!

Anybody who bothers to look up other comments by me will see that I'm probably Warren Beatty's biggest fan. Besides that, I'm always willing to give anybody or anything a fair chance before passing judgment. So, when I read the horrible reviews, both by professional and non-professional critics, I figured I had to find out for myself if "Town and Country" was really that bad. Well, the verdict is out: it is really THAT bad! I haven't seen all of Warren's movies recently/yet, but if this isn't the biggest stinker of his career, I would be surprised. And to imagine it was shot in the very same year as the brilliant and inspired "Bulworth" is mind-boggling. "Town and Country" is a total, unfunny and uninspired, unco-ordinated chaotic mess. And it starts out quite alright. If the script had just stuck to the family situation, the clash between the generations, even when both generations are messing around with (sexual) relationships, it could have been a lot better. But now? The script ends up going nowhere (literally, when they end up in Sun Valley). Just what the heck is the movie trying to be about? Is it trying to say that EVERY man, even the most loyal one, will eventually feel the genetic need to cheat on his wife? Is it trying to say that even filthy rich and successful people have mundane problems? Is it trying to say that lessons are only learned when one risks losing everything? WHAT? The movie's problem isn't even its older cast as some reviewers seem to think. Older, wrinkly people exist, and yes, they even have sex, so get over it! The movie's problem is that it is totally incoherent and consists of a bunch of strung together scenes that seem for the most part to have been largely ad-libbed, as far as scripting goes. Most of the cast are real life friends (Goldie, Diane, Gary, Warren and Buck Henry). I think they should have just made a home movie and spared us this waste of time and talent. Dear God, please let Warren come up with another great thing like "Bulworth" to end his career with a big bang, instead of letting it whither to a halt with this monstrosity.