Three to Tango (1999)

It takes Three To Tango. So why the rock and roll, not tango, sequence during the starting credits? These credits are James Bondish; silhouettes, but without tango music; a very entertaining sequence in fact, but they point to the bits and pieces nature of Three To Tango. It's a film in parts.

But some of the parts are downright funny.

Matthew Perry (Friends) plays Oscar an architect who with his gay partner Peter (Oliver Platt , Funny Bones) are after a contract to build some swank building for slime ball rich guy Charles (Dylan McDermott).

Charles is two timing his wife with Amy (Neve Campbell, Scream) and thinking that Oscar is gay like Peter, Charles asks Oscar to baby sit Amy because he's fearful of Amy running off with an old boyfriend of hers.

Of course Oscar and Amy fall in love but Oscar has to pretend he's gay to Amy to keep the contract with Charles, and this keeps the laughs rolling.

For instance Amy gets to confide with Oscar about the sorts of girly things women apparently share with gay men. He also has to deal with the men now attracted to him because they think he's gay.

Hollywood has an uneasy relationship with homosexuality. These days its common to have the comical gay friend or two mincing about in mainstream films (As Good As It Gets, Beverley Hills Cop and many others).

These personalties are added almost strictly for laughs and they are sometimes genuinely amusing but a good dose of homophopia is necessary to really enjoy Three To Tango.

Those not inclined to hate those "batting for the other side" will be a bit under awed by many of the scenes in this film but there's nothing new about that.

Still these sorts of movies may well be seen to be an important step in the true "coming out" of this minority group on the big screen. Judging though by the ill tuned guffaws on air at the screening I attended there's a long way to go as yet.

There are often two or three gags going on at once in any case. This film takes the bird shot approach to comedy. Let off a blast of jokes all at once and one or two might hit their target.

But still the two central characters, Amy and Oscar, do develop some credibility which isn't surprising since they're the only ones who aren't vapid stereotypes.

That might have been not so easy though. I was often still tempted to imagine death mask, hooded, Scream murderers lunging out on the shadows with big knives at Neve Campbell. But she has successfully transcended that sort of typecasting in this film.

Her hair is cut shorter and she's determinably bubbly, very different to the haunted, hunted character she plays in the Scream films.

Mathew Perry like Campbell is very likeable in what is sometimes an awkward comedy romance, with a gay fear subplot.

But overwhelmingly, Three To Tango is often played strictly for fun. Oscar rushes through a market. Instead of knocking over a fruit cart, standard fare for the movies, about six live ducks are thrown at him. Huh! But that was different. And funny.

Fmovies: Well, I had NO idea that this movie was being 'bashed' or receiving negative publicity. The first I heard about this movie, I only wanted to see it because Dylan McDermott (The Practice) was in it, but when I saw the trailer I thought it would be hilarious too. And I was absolutely right! I don't think I've laughed this hard during a movie for ages! I mean, usually most romantic comedies are way too mushy and when they're over, you kinda think, 'That was IT?' But in Three to Tango, from the opening credits to the little scenes which appear with the ending credits, it is HILARIOUS! Matthew Perry gave a superb performance, being totally misunderstood by EVERYONE (I expecially liked the father's reaction), and Neve wasn't really as bimboesque as I thought she'd be... The whole time I thought it was funny how Oliver Platt was secretly laughing at everyone... I could go on for ages, but my advice is that you MUST see this movie, even if you've been put off by the bad press you DO have to give it a chance, because you might end up loving it totally like I did! My only regret is that at the end they didn't show us Dylan wearing the... the thing that his wife bought him! (Y'know! ^o^)

I absolutely loved this movie. It was extremely cute and funny. Some of the lines just made me crack up. Neve Campbell put on one heck of a performance considering she does not normaly play this sort of role and Matthew Perry was the heart and soul of the movie. Its definitely a feel good movie and I reccomend it to everybody.

Three to Tango fmovies. What you get from 'Three To Tango' is a feel-good (but sort of deja-vu) comedy. It has its own charm, own humour (though very American). Santostefano's direction helps the movie move on a steady track. Matthew Perry's Oscar isn't very different from Chandler Bing, yet he manages to stay funny as hell and never get on our nerves. Neve Campbell's Amy is vivacious, charming, sexy and funny. Dylan McDermott does alright as the arrogant boss. Oliver Platt is decent (although he does go overboard at times). Unlike other more recent American comedies, 'Three To Tango' has a more classy appeal. The background score is very likable. The film is set in the busy city which is beautifully shot. Though it does have its share of toilet humour and over-the-top comedy, I can safely say it's one of the better American comedies, fun enough to watch on a rainy day accompanied by a great background score.

Somehow I wondered that this movie was such a missuccess in the USA. Okay, this movie is full of cliche's - some scenes reminded me of "My best friend's wedding" and "In and out" - but who cares? Hey man, this is a romantic comedy! Matthew Perry and Neve Campbell were an absolutely perfect couple! I must say that I've watched the movie just because of Neve. She was just wonderful! She should make more movie's like this one. I've loved it from the first scene on.

Typical Hollywood formula: guy meets girl, guy wants girl, but girl thinks guy is gay and he must maintain the charade or lose a job. In this case the guy in question is Oscar Novak (Matt Perry), who, with his business partner (Oliver Platt) is competing for a $90 million renovation project. To complicate matters, Charles, the guy in charge of assigning the project (Dylan McDermott), asks Oscar to shadow his mistress (Neve Campbell) and keep her away from any guys. Oscar doesn't realize why he's been chosen (Charles thinks he's gay) until it's too late. Of course it's only a matter of time before Oscar and Amy fall in love and chaos ensues.

Perry essentially does a rehash of his Chandler persona from "Friends", which makes Oscar a charming, neurotic klutz who makes little headway with women. Campbell's Amy is energetic as the independent life loving bohemian and her omnipresent grin and boundless optimism light up the screen (luckily there's no screaming). Platt, although uncharacteristically subdued, is hilarious as always and has some of the best lines in the film. Unfortunately, McDermott's portrayal of the self-absorbed- pretty-boy-Donald-Trump-wannabe is suprisingly lifeless and the only weak link in the film.

Tango is not groundbreaking cinema -the straight-guy-pretending-to-be-gay (and vices versa) routine has surely been done in every medium known to man. Unlike many of its predecessor's, however, it manages to be amusing without being offensive: Oscar doesn't try to "act" gay - he does not become a mincing, effeminate, fop with a lisp - rather he conducts himself as he always has. Although humor is the method of delivery, the movie manages to honestly convey the difficulty people must face when, for whatever reason, they are forced to live a lie. Oscar's "coming out" speech emphasizes this point, and manages to be poignant and educational without being melodramatic.

If you're looking for an entertaining date movie that doesn't require a box of Kleenex this movie amply fits the bill.