Elizabeth Perkins in I'm Losing You (1998)

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An extraordinary example of auteurship in that Bruce Wagner wrote the novel upon which the movie is based, adapted it himself, then directed it himself. I read some good comments about the insight and wit in the novel, but those qualities are not visible in the movie. The wit is completely absent.

The insight seems to have been reduced to a soap opera plot where these things really happen:

· they hold an all AIDS-positive party

· one character finds out that her father killed her mother, than committed suicide (and she was mentally unstable before she found that out)

· a washed-up actor has a junkie wife

· to make ends meet, the actor sells life insurance policies to AIDS victims

· the family patriarch is dying of inoperable cancer

· a child dies unexpectedly

I found this melodrama unwatchable, despite a generally competent cast. If you don't know the meaning of the word "bathos", this is a good chance to expand your vocab. As much as I hated the movie, I'd like to take this opportunity to avoid committing the usual Hollywood sin of shooting the cinematographer because the script stinks.

Rob Sweeney lit the scenes beautifully, and captured them clearly, especially facial close-ups. I don't know if there is great artistic merit in the images; I didn't get that feel. But there is surely great technical merit. The DVD is a beautiful transfer of the photography, and it is one of the slickest looking films in the last couple of years, complete with full-length commentary.

Just goes to show you that looks aren't everything.

Nudity Report: The letterboxed DVD deems to be missing some nudity that could be seen in the full screen VHS version. As Rosanna Arquette walked on the beach in an overcoat, there was a brief flash of her pubic area.

The widescreen version does have the following nudity:

·Rosanna Arquette's buns are seen briefly (out fo focus) as she gets out of bed.

·Rosanna Arquette's breasts are seen in the bathtub.

·Elizabeth Perkins breasts are seen in a sex scene. There is also a pan which includes her crotch, but it is almost completely covered by hands.

Critics Vote: Berardinelli 1.5/4

IMDB Summary: 6.4 out of 10

Box Office: It did virtually nothing in a token theatrical opening. Total gross $12,000.

DVD Info: Widescreen letterboxed, 1.85:1, spectacular transfer! Full-length director commentary (with Rosanna Arquette), minor features.

Written by: Scoopy …Scoopy.net