Two Girls and a Guy Review

Two Girls and a Guy begins when Lou, Natasha Gregson Wagner, the daughter of Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, and Carla, Heather Graham, meet outside the New York loft apartment of Blake, Robert Downey Jr, a young actor. Although the women have never met, they have a lot in common - Blake. Before he went off to California, he told them both, in identical words, they were his only girl. Now they`ve come to surprise him when he returns home - some surprise!...For most of it`s relatively short running time, Two Girls and a Guy is an abrasive three-hander which could just as easily have been a play as a film. But thanks to the visual smarts of the ever-challenging director, James Toback, and the three sensational actors, this chamberpiece is surprisingly gripping. Blake, who has a mother fixation - and, significantly, a poster of Truffaut`s Jules and Jim , a film about two guys and a gal, on his wall - is demolished by these two strong women. They accuse him of deceit and treachery - but then libido enters the equation, as Carla gets horny and Lou starts contemplating the possibilities of a threesome. The dirty dialogue rings utterly true, but Toback seems uncertain about how to end the film, which lacks a successful third act. Still, it`s good to welcome such a bold examination of the war between the sexes..Margaret`s Comments:It`s almost impossible to view this film without some awareness of the background to it. Writer/Director James Toback worked with Robert Downey Jr. on the 1987 film The Pick-Up Artist. The screenplay was sparked by Toback viewing Downey being led away in handcuffs during his recent clash with the law. Toback wrote the screenplay in four days, he shot the film in eleven, after which Downey went back to gaol. Toback is a notorious womaniser, Downey a notorious on-screen charmer. He`s actually very good at depicting this romance between star and writer/director.It`s not a romance between men and women at all, it`s a product of male narcissism and/or a celebration of it... Are we really meant to be seduced by the cheating charm of a mommy`s boy? Even when brilliantly portayed by Downey? However the dialogue is quick and witty, designed to seduce. It is actually enjoyable, I hate to say it because I despise the sentiments it espouses. Unfortunately Downey`s talent eclipses that of his co-stars, the cards are rather stacked in this apologia for duplicity. But Downey is that good.