Review of Guarding Tess (1994) by Christopher S — 08 Mar 2012

Like the role itself, Cage is clearly in service here to a fabled but fading star, and he seldom slips on that second banana. There are no big thrills, only gentle laughs in this light story by Hugh Wilson and Peter Torokvei (Wilson also directed). In its small way, however, it succeeds, thanks to director Hugh Wilson's light touch and the chemistry between leads Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage. While it's understandable that it was thought that Tess needed something more, that it couldn't go on merely being clever and fragile, this solution goes too far in the opposite direction. What counts is the comic tension between MacLaine and Cage. It's so well done, it doesn't matter how dumb things get. Most of "Guarding Tess" is mannered comedy, focused on the redoubtable MacLaine and the tensile Cage. All of the supporting characters -- notably tubby Richard Griffiths as Tess's nurse and mousy Austin Pendleton as her chauffeur -- are thinly drawn, but neither MacLaine nor Cage leaves much room for anyone to overact.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).