Review of The Out-of-Towners (1999) by Heba M — 16 Jul 2011

A remake of the Neil Simon classic, The Out-of-Towners is a slapstick comedic hit because Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn work so well together.

Henry and Nancy Clark just said goodbye to their son on a trip to Europe and they finally have alone time, which would sound great, but not for these two. Henry has a job interview in New York so the two go together. But their little vacation becomes a night of misfortune with hilarious consequences. The only thing lacking in this movie is originality. Its slapstick approach in replace of the original material isn't the most ingenious approach, but it is an entertaining approach. This isn't a bad remake to be frank. It has tones of laughs, and all because of the great chemestry between Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, and not to mention the master of comedy himself, John Cleese.

The directing isn't all that bad either. Sam Weisman does a good job at capturing the comedic moments, not being too wild or too suttle. The pacing of the movie is quite entertaining and captures the rom-com mood of senarios quite well. The capture of New York is well played, taking us down streets, fancy 4 star hotels and Central Park. The shooting locations are well filmed, the sets look good and the cinematography is better than what you'ld expect. And the directing of the physical comedy is good for a laugh.

Full of unexpected and hilarious events, The Out-of Towners is a pretty great remake, very entertaining and with a great cast. It might not be an original, but it is a sure thing for a good comedy and a good time.