Just the Ticket

The film's tagline claims: "He's irresponsible, unpredictable, and totally irresistible." Well, two out of three... Andy Garcia plays ne'er-do-well ticket scalper Gary Starke, who is hoping to rekindle a relationship with home theater salesperson and part-time caterer, Linda Palinsky (Andie MacDowell), who dumped Gary when she realized that a) he would never "grow up," and b) that his petty criminal career couldn't provide the kind of security to make a girl happy. But this time Gary expects to score big by scalping a planned New York City Papal visit and then bankrolling a restaurant with the proceeds. (Oh yes, before I forget, there's also a go-nowhere, just-eat-up-screen-time subplot about a slick operator who muscles his way on to Gary's scalping turf.) Admittedly, there have been many films in the past whose leads have been criminals--even assassins--but writer/director Richard Wenk's efforts to romanticize ticket scalping has got to be a new low in 'criminal chic.' Technical credits are all top-shelf, but as for the leads, Garcia and MacDowell demonstrate absolutely zero screen chemistry together, and Garcia is particularly stand-out annoying. Just the Ticket is far from it. Not recommended. (S. C. Nickles)