Review: Moonstruck (1987)

Directed by Norman Jewison

Starring: Cher, Nicolas Cage

The plot follows a 37-year-old, Italian-American woman who falls in love with her fiancé's estranged, hot-tempered younger brother.

Firstly, I want to mention how honored I am to be writing this review as part of the The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent event, in which we collaborate and explore Nicolas Cage's filmography.

As part of the event, I was tasked with tackling one of Cage's earlier roles. His role in 1987 film, Moonstruck. I admit, I'm not a big fan of rom-coms, in fact I despise them. They are usually cheesy, badly written and extremely clichéd. However, I was quite surprised with Moonstruck, and also quite enjoyed it. This film is a blueprint on how to do a rom-com right.

Beside a few cheesy and predictable moments, as well as a lack of substance in the script, the film is a breath of fresh air with it's humor and comedic writing. This film got me to laugh in many occasions, often due to the great comedic timing and delivery, one key component that seems missing in most modern comedies. The writing is backed by the great cast, specifically mentioning the funny, yet powerful performances of Cher (which earned her an Academy Award), the late Danny Aiello, the late Feodor Chaliapin Jr. , and of course the great Nicolas Cage.

The music is great and powerful, and it's humorous approach to the themes of love, life, and family, is sweet and entertaining. Overall I quite enjoyed the film for what it is, and in this case, Nicolas Cage quite delivered in his role, as he brings a range of emotions to his character, especially at the age of 23. From horror action such as Mandy, to family adventure films such as National Treasure, This man has quite the range, and I for one cannot wait to see what performances he has in store for us next. Long live the Cage.

7.5/10

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