First-rate romantic comedy with an edge
Romantic comedies are a staple of Hollywood, but many lack distinctiveness. What makes “Moonstruck” different is its exceptional script and a first-rate cast that makes the characters flesh and blood, flawed individuals. The comedy derives not from jokes and wisecracks but from unique, quirky personalities.<br /><br />Loretta Castorini (Cher) is a bookkeeper in her mid-thirties who lives with her close-knit Italian-American family in a three-generation household. She was married but her husband died in an accident two years later and for the past seven years she has avoided love. She does have a long-time beau, Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). When Johnny surprises Loretta with a proposal, Loretta considers that marriage with him would be a pragmatic arrangement and says yes. Johnny is about to leave for Italy to see his dying mother and asks Loretta to invite his long-estranged brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to the wedding. Loretta tracks him down at work and finds a sweaty baker who is missing one hand and blames Johnny for his accident and the bitter event that followed.<br /><br />Loretta persuades Ronny to talk a bit, one thing leads to another, and soon she finds herself in Ronny’s bed. Embarrassed and fearful of romance, Loretta wants to forget about the one-night stand but Ronny senses they are kindred spirits. He begs her to go with him to the opera, declaring that she and opera are the two things he loves most.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Loretta’s mother (Olympia Dukakis) is worried that her husband (Vincent Gardenia) is seeing another woman on the sly and wonders throughout the movie why men chase women.<br /><br />Loretta is torn between her promise to Johnny and her growing affection for the passionate Ronny. Guilt, confusion, coincidence, and a chance meeting put things in perspective while posing still more questions. A full moon has its effect as it casts its romantic spell and affects the characters in unexpected ways.<br /><br />Cher, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role, is totally believable. She mastered the regional accent and fully inhabits the character of Loretta — outspoken, sensible, self-reliant, resistant to falling in love again but also caring, nurturing, and devoted to family. With small gestures and expressions, Cher makes Loretta real. There’s an authenticity about her performance, whether pouring a glass of champagne for her father late at night, demanding a ring when Johnny proposes, or smacking a lovesick Ronny and demanding, “Snap out of it.”<br /><br />Cage’s best scene is his first, in the basement of the bakery with the hot oven behind him. Unkempt and sweaty, he seems more animal than human as he rails about his misfortune and ruined life. His monologue narrates why he and Johnny are estranged, and inadvertently reveals that the reason for his resentment makes no logical sense. He labors day after day at the ovens in the basement of his bakery, away from people, wallowing in self-pity. Cage makes the most of his dialogue, with emphasis and pauses that elicit laughs, but he remains true to character throughout, never resorting to self-parody.<br /><br />Danny Aiello’s Johnny values Loretta but is reluctant to commit to a marriage date. He is the ultimate mama’s boy, frequently rushing off to Sicily to be at the bedside of his mother, who has been issuing alarms about her imminent death for years, and is dominated by Loretta in their relationship. Johnny lacks the passion that his brother cannot contain.<br /><br />Olympia Dukakis as Loretta’s mom is excellent. An observer of life, Mrs. Castorini always has an apt comment ready at a crucial moment but is genuinely heartbroken that her husband is stepping out with another woman. Stoic in the face of familial crisis, she ponders the situation philosophically, asking various characters why married men philander.<br /><br />Julie Bovasso and Louis Guss as Loretta’s aunt and uncle have small roles but are memorable because they come across so vividly. They play an indelible part in the ensemble that gathers in the Castorini kitchen in the film’s climactic scene. John Mahoney, who plays a girl-chasing college professor, has a good scene with Dukakis when his character joins hers for an impromptu dinner and pours out his heart while she tries to understand what drives men to pursue women.<br /><br />The script by John Patrick Shanley (“Doubt”) is terrific and captures this Italian-American family both comically and touchingly. Never maudlin or sugary, the dialogue crackles with wit and insight into human nature. Never farcical, it is about relatable folks, ones we recognize. Far from perfect, they are like most people — looking for happiness, confused when obstacles prevent it, and resilient. Director Norman Jewison (“In the Heat of the Night”) makes the most of this superb script and great cast. The story is original but has the feel of a play, with its limited locations and dialogue-driven plot. In its down-to-earth simplicity, it makes ordinary people complex and interesting. Jewison uses the camera to advantage but doesn’t let it intrude.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the Blu-ray release include an audio commentary; introduction by Cher; new interview with writer John Patrick Shanley; new interview about the opera in the film; 1987 interviews with Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis, and director Norman Jewison; interview with Danny Aiello; the featurettes “The Music of Moonstruck” and “At the Heart of an Italian Family;” theatrical trailer; and a booklet containing a critical essay.
The movie title "Moonstruck (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.8 from 493 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Comedy", "Format": "Blu-ray, Subtitled", "Contributor": "Amy Aquino, Tim Koetting, David S. Howard, Betti Orsatti, Cynthia Dale, Catherine Scorsese, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Tommy Hollis, Patrick Palmer, Tony Azito, Ann Petrie, Anita Gillette, Danny Aiello, Lisa Howard, Nicolas Cage, Joe Grifasi, Lou Pitoscia, Louis Guss, Lee Rich, Aubrey Schenck, John Mahoney, Robert Weil, Max Raven, Norman Jewison, Al Therrien, Mimi Cecchini, Nicholas Pasco, Howard W. Koch, Nada Despotovich, Cher, John Jones, Helen Hanft, Julie Bovasso, Louis Dibianco, Vincent Gardenia, John Christopher Jones, Olympia Dukakis, Robin Bartlett, Louis di Bianco, Frank Gio, Matt Myers, Ann McDonoughAmy Aquino, Tim Koetting, David S. Howard, Betti Orsatti, Cynthia Dale, Catherine Scorsese, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Tommy Hollis, Patrick Palmer, Tony Azito, Ann Petrie, Anita Gillette, Danny Aiello, Lisa Howard, Nicolas Cage, Joe Grifasi, Lou Pitoscia, Louis Guss, Lee Rich, A\u2026  See more", "Language": "English", "Studio": "The Criterion Collection"}

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