Review of Barefoot In the Park (1982) by Diana S — 14 Oct 2007

[b]Green Street Hooligans[/b] stars Elijah Wood ("Day Zero") as a guy kicked out of Harvard the month before his graduation for a crime he didn't commit. He goes to London and falls in with a firm of football fanatics, The Green Street Elite, and gets in touch with his inner rage. The movie is entertaining and I found the GSE leader, Pete (Charlie Hunnam, "Children of Men") particularly fascinating. Wood is good with his angst, I just had a hard time believing he could ever kick anyone's ass. The setting was also very interesting to me, as I have no prior knowledge of this underworld of "football hooliganism." Though I could see many of the plot points coming, I still enjoyed it.

[b].

Barefoot in the Park[/b] is supposed to be this classic funny love story, but it was really sort of annoying. Based on the Neil Simon ("The Heartbreak Kid") play, he also did the screenplay, Jane Fonda ("Georgia Rule") and Robert Redford ("An Unfinished Life") star as a newly wed couple who have some troubles when they move into their first apartment. Fonda's hot, but really irksome as a "free spirit." Her mother, played by Mildred Natwick ("Dangerous Liaisons"), was the most enjoyable cast member. I'd say this is worth watching on TV, but don't go out of your way. Simon has some better scripts. And I just didn't get much of the humor or the romance. Sorry. Maybe I'm just heartless.