Let`s Dance! Hollywood comedies of the 80s - early 90s of the last century have gained incredible popularity among viewers around the world. The unobtrusive, light tone of the narrative, multiplied by the all-conquering morality and naive enthusiasm, allowed at least a short time to distract from the annoying existence and transfer to the carefree, fabulous dimension of cinema, in which there is simply nothing unrealistic. Even decades after the premiere, good old Hollywood comedies like “Airplane, Train, Car”, “Home Alone”, “K-9” and “Curly Sue” enjoy the attention of the widest audience, as they have a true soulfulness that most modern films lack. Of course, not all comedies of thirty years and more have acquired the status of an indestructible classic of cinema, but this does not mean that they do not deserve to be at least familiar with them. The tape of not the most famous and successful director Tom Ropelevsky “Crazy House” appeared on the screens in 1990, having noted a very intriguing cast and smoothly working formula of family cinema, but it was not destined to stand on a par with the generally recognized films of the genre. “Crazy House” could not conquer the box office tops, and the video-hit tape Ropelevski did not become. And yet it is time to call it an unjustly forgotten work that can awaken such an important feeling for each of us as nostalgia.
So, the plot of the film introduces us to the successful financier Mark Bennister (John Larockett) and his charming wife and concurrently promising TV presenter Jesse (Kersty Ellie). Gradually building their own family happiness, the heroes achieve confident results in everything they do not undertake and eventually move to a chic mansion located near the picturesque California coast. It would seem, well, what else should dream of the ideal couple, having everything you can only dream about besides a child, but their negligent relatives rush to remind that peace and quiet can sometimes be much more important than career achievements. For a start, the measured family life of the heroes can and destroy the unemployed cousin of Mark, Fred (John Deal), who came to the Bennisters to visit a couple with his pregnant wife Bernice (Jessica Lundy). The promised visit in 5 days naturally turns into a long stay of guests in a posh house, but this troubles Mark and Jesse do not end. Following her husband’s relatives, the wife’s relatives arrive in the mansion, specifically her sister Claudia (Eliosne La Plaza) and nephew Jonathan (Bradley Gregg). Thus, bringing together a vast and contentious family will be for Mark and Jesse a great example of what is really worth appreciating. But the violent relatives of the heroes, fixated on their own desires, will also come to the necessary conclusions, since 1990 is the time of pure thoughts and honest morality. At least in the movies.
Having taken up the production of the film according to his own script, Tom Ropelevsky tried to recreate the attractive atmosphere of the family cinema of his period as accurately as possible, thereby hoping not to allow himself an annoying artistic failure. But at the same time, Ropelewski did not calculate the effort, and was unable to demonstrate to the audience the appropriate madness necessary for the picture, with the vividly speaking title “Madhouse”. The story of Mark and Jesse Bannister is not as comical and unrestrained as the audience wanted, which is the root of the oblivion of Mad House. Paving the plot canvas of a specific family, the director himself did not come to his senses, as he added to the picture unacceptably serious notes, because of which the expected clowning turned into a kind of drama. But to consider “Crazy House” as a serious, thoughtful work also will not work, so there is dissonance in the perception of the picture, dispelling which does not work until the final credits. Another controversial feature of the film is the lack of really funny jokes. Much of what the main characters and their unplanned cohabitants have to do, the audience could already see in the comedies preceding “Madhouse”, from which the freshness of Ropelevsky’s production lends itself to considerable doubts. And yet, despite the rush from comedy to drama, the insufficient level of original humor and multiple logical flaws, the film Tom Ropelevsky captivates the honesty, sincerity and warmth of cinema, now in the section of historical files.
Watching the development of the plot, you catch yourself thinking that the greatest interest in the “Madhouse” is caused not by outright eccentrics who came to the house to the main characters, but by the Bannisters themselves. John Larockett and Kersty Ellie played meaningfully traditional laymen, working in presentable conditions and possessing diligent manners. It would seem, well, that interesting can be found in their boring images, but the bottom line is that Larockett and Ellie have considerable inner charm and they were considered one of the brightest celebrities of the 80-90s for a reason. Tom Ropelewski may not have given them much opportunity to show their best talents, but against the backdrop of surprisingly mediocre and inexpressive colleagues from the background, Larockett and Ellie look incredibly attractive. Even outright stupidity, a priori unusual to their heroes, they perform with dignity and confidence. In the game of leading performers, notes of aristocracy are visible, and it is much more interesting than the tortured absurdities of John Deal and company.
It is somewhat strange to see in the film Ropelevsky so helpless heroes of a comedy character, as often they are responsible for humor and do everything possible to fully experience the character of diligent citizens, which in this story was the Bannister family. Probably, the director did not play into the hands of the dubious selection of performers, as John Deal, Alison La Plaza, as well as their other colleagues from the background look completely unconvincing. Instead of leaving an indelible mark on themselves, they try to fill the dramatic component of their games with completely unnecessary additions that cause boredom rather than positive effect. In particular, this applies to the same John Deal, whose hero, according to the plot, was once the most popular guy in the district, and now has turned into a note loser. Based on this image, there was a chance to create an incredibly comical hero, but instead we see soulful throwing, driving the narrative at a slow pace, which is unacceptable.
In the end, I want to say that Mad House is not considered a classic of the 80s and 90s and there are a number of reasons for this, but the film itself causes warm, pleasant sensations. Tom Ropelewski wrote and directed a very presentable story. Maybe she is not the most resourceful, sometimes her plot is lost in itself, tramples on the spot and does not offer particularly memorable moments, but at the same time “Madhouse” skillfully compensates for failures with a unique atmosphere, for which it is worth sitting down for viewing. However, nostalgia is very strong here.
7 out of 10