Paper Marriage

Stars: Gary Kemp (The Bodyguard, The Krays), Joanna Trepechinska, Rita Tushingham (A Taste of Honey). A British version of Green Card, Joanna Trepechinska stars as Alicja, a Polish emigrant whose English beau backs out of the proposed marriage leaving Alicja as prime immigration official bait. Fortunately, she's able to snag small-time crook Aiden (Gary Kemp) into walking the matrimonial aisle with her for a bit of coin. After the wedding, however, Aiden learns that the money (which he needs to repay his boss) won't be forthcoming for awhile. At this point, Paper Marriage follows the path of least resistance (and originality) by having Alicja struggle to land a decent paying job while Aiden slowly falls in love. The principals are both fine, but the script just doesn't give them much to work with. A better choice is 1989's A Paper Wedding, with Genevieve Bujold as a Canadian woman marrying a Chilean refugee (from Capitol Home Video). [Note: the back cover featuring a skimpily attired Trepechinska is totally misleading; this is not a sleazy film.] Audience: Very undemanding fans of romantic comedies.