The centerpiece is the homage to George M. Cohan -- Devito slaps us upside the head with this. Note Smoochy draped in the flag after accusations of fascism, and redemption through the Battle Hymn of the Republic: you're really seeing "Yankee Doodle Dandy."
What it makes it so cinematically enjoyable is Devito's eye for establishing the pecking order in every relationship *visually*; great stuff there.
It is all about itself: how Devito sees Smoochy seeing the movie of his career as a musical on ice. An angel descends and crowns Norton; he is persecuted by midget devils with pitchforks and swastikas; Rispoli is given a ghostly farewell (set to Wagner and Puccini!)
The problem here is Williams...not the one most people believe they know from three decades of movie goop. Those of us with longer memories know who he really is, and his fig leaf doesn't fool us...which is why the critical dupes didn't get it. A shame, on two levels.
Not brilliant, but still satisfyingly dark.
What it makes it so cinematically enjoyable is Devito's eye for establishing the pecking order in every relationship *visually*; great stuff there.
It is all about itself: how Devito sees Smoochy seeing the movie of his career as a musical on ice. An angel descends and crowns Norton; he is persecuted by midget devils with pitchforks and swastikas; Rispoli is given a ghostly farewell (set to Wagner and Puccini!)
The problem here is Williams...not the one most people believe they know from three decades of movie goop. Those of us with longer memories know who he really is, and his fig leaf doesn't fool us...which is why the critical dupes didn't get it. A shame, on two levels.
Not brilliant, but still satisfyingly dark.