Something Wild (1986)

Escape Into the ‘80s, Movie #2

Synopsis: Anal retentive corporate drone finds true happiness with free-spirited, drunk-driving fruitcake bimbo.... well, until her psychotic, ex-con hubby shows up.

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Whatever Lulu (Melanie Griffith, Working Girl) wants, Lulu gets. And what she wants right now is Charles Driggs (Jeff Daniels, Dumb and Dumber), a conservative family man who’s never done anything outrageous in his life.”

What Did I Learn?: 1) A broken nose ain’t gonna kill ya. 2) It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion.

You Might Like This Movie If: You'll watch ANYTHING from 1986.

Really?: 1) Why would Lulu and Charlie throw out a perfectly good suit? It just needs a bit of dry-cleaning. 2) Um... what are the odds of Charlie running into somebody he knows at Lulu’s 10-year high school reunion somewhere in Pennsylvania... 3 billion to one? 4) So, is Charlie independently wealthy, or something? How is he going to support himself without a job? 5) It’s funny how Lulu is obviously an alcoholic – she drinks in the morning, and even drives drunk – and yet this is never resolved, let alone seriously addressed.

Rating: I’m not a big Melanie Griffith fan, but she delivers a spellbindingly sexy performance in this film, and she enjoys some obvious chemistry with Daniels. Something Wild has some funny moments, as well as a quirky charm, but it feels like two different movies strung together – a wacky comedy in the first hour, and a brutally violent thriller once Ray Liotta shows up, and it has a few too many “Really?” moments for my taste. I have to give Something Wild a less-than-stellar review. 5.5/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091983/?ref_=nv_sr_1