Review of Who's That Girl (1987) by Stuart K — 30 Dec 2012

Directed by James Foley (Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Fear (1996) and The Chamber (1986), this is a screwball romantic comedy for the 1980's, which had the biggest female singer of that time as it's lead, even though her previous foray into films, (Shanghai Surprise (1986)), had been a massive flop.

It's not as bad as what the critics made out, and it has some good set pieces as well. When Nikki Finn (Madonna) comes out of jail after a 4 year being framed for robbery and disposing of a body. New York tax lawyer Loudon Trott (Griffin Dunne) has been assigned with ensuring Nikki catches a bus to Philadelphia, and also pick up a live cougar for rich animal activist Montgomery Bell (John Mills).

However, Nikki proves to be a handful, Loudon has been loaned a Rolls Royce by his father-in-law-to-be Simon Worthington (John McMartin), and it seems like it'll be an easy job, but within no time at all, the Rolls is ruined, the cougar escapes, Nikki misses her bus and then they're targeted by pimps Raoul (Coati Mundi) and Benny (Dennis Burkley), who had framed Nikki.

It's a very silly film, but it's also enjoyable. Madonna proves to have good comic timing too, and it makes up for her last trip into acting. It's not perfect, but it's like one of those old fashioned comedies updated to the 1980's.