Something Wild (1986)

Average rating

(59%)

Starring:	Jeff Daniels \| Melanie Griffith \| Ray Liotta \| Byron Keith Minns \| John Sayles \| John Waters \| The Feelies
Director:	Jonathan Demme
Studio:	MGM ENTERTAINMENT
Run time:	108 mins
Genres:	Comedy
Languages:	English
Dubbed:	German
Hearing-impaired:	English, German
Subtitles:	Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese
Released:	January 06, 2003

Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels star in this quirky road movie from director Jonathan Demme (MARRIED TO THE MOB, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS). Charlie Driggs (Daniels) is a timid New York investment broker who lets himself be abducted during his lunch hour by an attractive nut named Lulu (Griffith). While drunk, she drives him to a New Jersey hotel for some kinky sex and petty thievery, and later convinces him to accompany her to Pennsylvania and pose as her husband at her high school reunion. More misadventures ensue, and Charlie gradually finds himself loosening up and falling in love, but then the film makes a sudden left turn with the appearance of Ray (Ray Liotta), Lulu's real husband--a violent ex-convict. As the film's tone oscillates from lightheartedness to darkness, Demme's affection for his characters never wavers, and he keeps things moving with a jubilant soundtrack of global music and a roster of cameo appearances that include directors John Waters and John Sayles, and musicians the Feelies and Sister Carol. It's a comedy, it's a drama, it's a look at the pleasures and dangers of stepping outside the norm, in life and in film.

Rating of 4 stars out of 5

In this black comedy drama from director Jonathan Demme, meek Jeff Daniels is dragged into a “yuppie nightmare” of boozing and bondage after an accidental meeting with flaky femme fatale Melanie Griffith, who persuades him to attend her high-school reunion. The film moves up a violent gear when her crazed ex-con husband Ray Liotta kidnaps them both for his own vengeful purposes. Constantly confounding expectations as to where it's going, Demme's jet-black anarchic comedy features a marvellous rock soundtrack and a great performance by Griffith. Just watch out for those shocking shifts in style as the lethal paranoia builds.

Highest rated reviews

7 out of 7 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 3 stars
A wild ride - for half the movie

Philip Concannon from London, 19th September, 2004

Charles(Jeff Daniels) is an uptight yuppie who likes to do things by the book. But occasionally he likes to sneak out of a restaurant without paying, just to give a little thrill back into his average life. He's got a wild, rebellious streak inside him and when he meets Lulu(Melanie Griffiths, with a career best performance) she gives full reign to his wild side. She 'kidnaps' him for a weekend of fun and kinky sex, and then takes him back to her home town, passing him off as her husband at the high schoole reunion.

Charles is clearly starting to enjoy this new approach to life, and is also starting to fall for Lulu. But there's a cloud on the horizon, Lulu's dangerous husband Ray(Ray Liotta) is back on the scene and wants Lulu back.

Jonathan Demme's comedy is one of the numerous 'yuppie nightmare' movies that were so prevalent in the 80's. This one stands out thanks to the reckless, chaotic approach Demme takes with the film early on. We are plunged straight into the action and it's easy to understand Charles' bemusement at the unfolding events.

The question on most viewer's minds will be 'can Demme keep it up?'. Alas, the answer is no. When Lulu takes Charles home to meet the folks the film loses a little of it's energy and settles into a(slightly) more conventional narrative, winding up with a lacklustre climax.

The performances throughout are a joy to watch. Daniels is perfectly cast as the businessman finding a new leash of life, it remains one of this under-appreciated actor's best roles. Melanie Griffith has never been better as the sexy Lulu, a character who's surely an homage to the one played by the great Louise Brooks in 'Pandora's Box'.

The star of the show, however, is Ray Liotta in one of his earliest roles. He steals every scene he's in with an intense and genuinely scary performance.

Demme's film must be marked as a disappointment as it fails to live up to it's wondeful first half. It certainly held my attention throughout, but it's only with the genius end credits sequence that Demme rediscovers that 'something wild' he had in abundance at the start.

Read all highest rated reviews

Most recent reviews

Check out...

Subscribers who liked this DVD also liked...

Peggy Sue Got Married

The Purple Rose Of Cairo

Pecker