# Real Blonde, The (1997)

### reviewed by
Dennis Schwartz

REAL BLONDE, THE (director: Tom DiCillo; cast: Matthew Modine (Joe), Catherine Keener (Mary), Daryl Hannah (Kelly), Maxwell Caulfield (Bob), Elizabeth Berkley (Tina), Marlo Thomas (Blair), Bridgette Wilson (Sahara), Christopher Lloyd (Ernst), Kathleen Turner (Dee Dee Taylor), Denis Leary (Doug), Steve Buscemi (Nick), 1997)

A fine looking, but extremely lightweight satire from Tom DiCillo (Living in Oblivion, Box of Moonlight). I could not take this satirical comedy as a serious work of satire, as the story is rife with unresolved issues it brings up just to be seemingly ironical but with not enough conviction or intensity of purpose to make something out of its mocking tone, that is attacking both the television and fashion industry.

Joe (Modine) is the actor/waiter, who is currently out of acting work because he won't do soaps and has set unrealistic goals for his career. He is supposedly the high minded idealist and spokesman for the director's views. One of his pet gripes seems to be in the hypocrisy of men's and women's behavior toward each other; such as, the double-standards maintained by them on sexual issues and in the way they model underwear differently. There is also the film's other major theme, of characters who fool themselves into chasing after a fool's gold, deluding themselves into thinking they are happy with such worthless trophies. All the characters are busy pursuing their goals to succeed in the image-oriented fashion industry or in the cheesy video and TV soap opera markets of New York.

Unfortunately, the satire has little bite to it. DiCillo couldn't make up his mind what he wanted to do, so the characters end up as being viewed as satires of themselves. I'm sure no one in the "industry" is going to be too taken aback by this film's attack on them. But the audience will see a well crafted film, that is pleasant to watch, but with hardly any laughs to garner from it.

Joe is living with Mary (Keener), who happens to do the makeup for the beautiful model Sahara (Bridgette), the perfect body of the Depression perfume ads. She even sleeps under a framed poster of her Depression ad. Sahara is vain and full of self-pity for herself, dying her hair blonde, and pathetically searching for something spiritual and romantic in her life. She gets picked up in a bar by Joe's actor friend and fellow waiter, Bob (Caulfield), who has this thing for blondes, and when he finds out that she is really not a blonde he treats her rather shabbily after a night of sex.

Mary and Joe are the only really nice people in this story, ever vocal about their personal desires after their six-year live-in relationship has hit some rough spots. They are portrayed as being unfairly submerged in the fake world of ephemeral fame and false appearances. Their story is what is supposed to tug at our heart strings and also make us laugh, as they try and handle all the obstacles they are up against. All that she wants him to do is get a job so that he can make real money and all he wants is for her to love him unconditionally.

Theirs is a romance that is marked by secret psychological problems, sexual dissatisfaction, and open bitterness. This seems to make them out to be more real than Bob and Sahara; at least, in their eyes.

Bob and Sahara's relationship is almost destroyed by their inability to be who they really are. Bob's big disappointment comes, suprisingly enough, when he has reached great heights in the career he has chosen. He finds this out on the soap opera job he lands when to his delight, his co-star is the real blonde, Kelly (Hannah). At the time of his big sexual moment with her, everything that can go wrong, does, as he becomes impotent. Kelly will then dump him, while he will get even with her, by getting her killed off the soap.

The story line followed these four pivotal characters through some of their glittery NYC experiences. It succeeded in telling their side of the story. The only thing is that their story was not that different from those who were depicted as being superficial.

The best results gleamed from the film were in moments of small truths: Joe getting work through his possible agent (Turner) as a macho extra, wearing a bathing suit in a Madonna video. This was especially amusing because Joe had to betray all his lofty views just to get this vulgar job, before losing it because he mouths off to an ignorant assistant director. Another great scene, was how Mary had to fend off her judo teacher (Leary) from sexual advances, who is teaching her how to act when verbally or physically attacked in the street. She rids her feelings of hatred for men by pummeling the less-than-true instructor. She will also have the same sexual problem with her shrink (Buck Henry), who can't stop telling her how much he is attracted to her.

But all the film added up to, was an easy to watch, slick NYC life-style satirical story about those trying to make it in the glamor business, told by an interesting director who tried to say something more than what was actually said.

    REVIEWED ON 6/18/99        GRADE: C

Dennis Schwartz: " Ozus' World Movie Reviews"

    http://www.sover.net/~ozus

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