Only You (Review)

Only You

Directed By: Norman Jewison
Starring: Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Bonnie Hunt
Year of Release: 1994


What’s It About

Through a game on a Ouija board and a Gypsy, Faith (played by the lovely Marisa Tomei) discovers that she is meant to spend the rest of her life with a man by the name of Damon Bradley. Life goes on, Faith is engaged and ten days before her wedding, she receives a phone call from… you guessed it, Damon himself! He’s on his way to Italy, so she… you guessed it, goes after him!

Thoughts

I was thirteen when I saw this film. It was the first romantic comedy I had ever seen and like so many other males, this was the film that made me fall in love with Marisa Tomei! Fifteen years later my wife and I decided to rent it, though I was hesitant. I mean, it’s been fifteen years! Certain films age horribly in that time (I still cringe when I remember going back recently to watch Face Off. I should’ve left the good memories I had of this crappy film alone…). Well, while the first five minutes where Faith is eleven look pretty dated, and kind of cheesy, everything after that works wonderfully.

A lot of the charm in Only You is in Italy itself. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist (who’s noted for working with director Ingmar Bergman) paints a simple Italy, showcasing small details like alleys, fountains, all while still retaining the romance that comes with the country. That is not to say that there aren’t moments where were swept away by the vistas of the countryside, or that we don’t get panned out shots of the city, we do. But what makes this trip so special are the small details, the details that take us into the film to the point where, by the end, we could almost swear we were there ourselves.

This movie wouldn’t be what it is without the great performances by Robert Downey Jr. and… of course, Marisa Tomei. There is not a moment that you’re not rooting for them, and even if Downey’s character uses sleazy methods to try to get to the girl, you can’t help but to cheer for his efforts! Adding to the mix is Bonnie Hunt as Faith’s sister in law and best friend Kate. She played a similar role to this in Jerry Maguire and it’s a role she knows how to do well. My only gripe is Stephen Fisher who plays Kates husband. He annoyed me since he seemed to come on too strong in his few scenes, almost throwing away the feel Only You was trying to go for.

You can’t go wrong with Only You. It’s a perfect companion for a Date Night at the house. It will also motivate you to want to see Italy, trust me; my wife has been taking about going since!

Memorable Moment

As Faith is running to find Damon Bradley, one of her shoes comes off, a la Cinderella, Downey’s character grabs the shoe, finds her and that’s when she gets the surprise of her life!

FYI

Apparently, Downey and Tomei were an item during filming. Must be nice Downey!

Score

8 out of 10