Review of Hugo Pool (1997) by Britta M — 20 Mar 2010

Robert Downey's (that's senior) quirky and stilted film about . . . well, Alyssa Milano being adorable, basically. She is, but so is everyone else in the film. If there's a single more adorable film in existence, I don't know about.

Hugo Pool is not perfect. It's a bit double-edged, and is almost like two entirely different films-- one off-beat comedy and one serious drama-- were sewn together. The film is clearly close to Robert Downey's heart, dedicated in the meory of his late wife (not Jr's mother) who died of ALS, the same condition that Milano's film love interest is stricken with. At times, this secondary plot looks out of place, but it's thankfully kept to a minimum.

Sean Penn's relationship with Malcom McDowell is the most adorable on-screen unspoken romance since Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. Robert Downey Jr.'s spastic and semi-coherent performance as a murderer/director is endearing and worrying. Cathy Moriarty is smokey, rough and self-assured. Alyssa Milano is the star and doesn't allow any secondary character's to take our attention-- a remarkable feat considering the stellar performances all around.

The film is a Robert Downey Sr. film, though, which means it's not a polished Hollywood production, despite the aesthetic and stars. The direction and actinf is intentionally stilted and the characters exist in barely over-lapping realities, with Milano being the only string. But what a lovely and endearing string it is.