Billie Golden, who hails from Queens, New York, is a singer of old standards in a dive where the bartender runs the noisy blender during her songs and the patrons are all aspiring centenarians. But she dreams of a more glamorous time, when elegant waiters served martinis, and handsome young men lit cigarettes--clipped into cigarette holders, of course--for alluring young women. Isabel Rose co-wrote (with director Robert Cary) and stars in this fluffy, fantastical little film that, when it sticks to Billie's struggle to follow her bliss, succeeds on its own small terms, but falls somewhat flat as a predictable romantic comedy. While trying to jumpstart her musical career, Billie meets both dreamboat business suit Greg (Cameron Bancroft) and cranky piano player Elliot (Andrew McCarthy). Life with Greg is great until he asks her to "tone down" her Audrey Hepburn impersonations and her kooky retro-spunky self; meanwhile, Elliot, who seems bent on being a jerk, rubs her the wrong way until one day he suddenly doesn't. Alas, the wonderful standards soundtrack can't disguise the lack of chemistry between Rose and either of her leading men in this occasionally bright, but ultimately run-of-the-mill, tale. Optional. (M. Johanson)
Anything But Love
Wellspring, 102 min., PG-13, VHS or DVD: $29.98, Dec. 14 Volume 20, Issue 1
Anything But Love
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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