Released in 1982 and loosely based on Shakespeare's play, "Tempest" stars John Cassavetes as Phillip, a rich architect in a troubled marriage in New York City. When his wife (Gena Rowlands) decides to return to acting and things blow-up, he escapes to Greece with his daughter (Molly Ringwald), where they unite with a free-spirited singer (Susan Sarandon). Meanwhile, Phillip's wife hooks up with his former boss (Vittorio Gassman) and they come to Greece looking for the daughter. Raul Julia plays an eccentric goatherd on the island while Sam Robards appears as a teen lothario.
While I'm sure the Greece cinematography would be spectacular on the big screen (it certainly is on the small screen), "Tempest" isn't a film I'd likely want to see in the theater (it flopped at the box office). Yet it works fine as a likably offbeat drama in the home.
If you're a Sarandon fan you'll definitely want to check this out because she's in the prime of her life (35 years-old during filming) and is splendidly portrayed by the director, Paul Mazursky, from the get-go, typically in alluring Mediterranean apparel. Likewise, statuesque Lucianne Buchanan appears in the final act as blond Delores. This was Ringwald's debut. She was fine for the meaty role of the daughter, but I was never enthralled by her, which isn't to say I don't like her. Actually, I'm not enamored by any of these women, but they're all certainly agreeable, one way or another.
There are several highlights, like Phillip coming home drunk to his wife's showbiz party where he awkwardly asks her producer (director Paul Mazursky) to dance. Needless to say, it's the epitome of an uncomfortable social situation. The best part about "Tempest," however, is that it's essentially an island flick, although the cast aren't necessarily castaways and the "island" is a little bit North of the tropics. If you're a sucker for island flicks, like me, then "Tempest" is worth checking out. It's uniquely entertaining and somehow warmhearted.
I realize Phillip (Cassavetes) is the Prospero character from The Bard's play, and Prospero was a magician, but the movie never explains Phillip's seeming ability to control the elements. We're just supposed to accept it. Why sure! In any case, I presume he's projecting his mental-spiritual struggles on to the forces of nature.
For those not in the know, Cassavetes and Rowlands were husband & wife for almost 36 years, which ended with the former's passing in 1989 at 59 years-of-age. He died of cirrhosis of the liver.
The film runs 142 minutes was shot in New York City; Atlantic City, NJ; and, mostly, Gytheio, Greece, which isn't an island, but the southern tip of the remote Mani peninsula of the Peloponnesus of Greece. WRITERS: Leon Capetanos & Mazursky.
GRADE: B-
While I'm sure the Greece cinematography would be spectacular on the big screen (it certainly is on the small screen), "Tempest" isn't a film I'd likely want to see in the theater (it flopped at the box office). Yet it works fine as a likably offbeat drama in the home.
If you're a Sarandon fan you'll definitely want to check this out because she's in the prime of her life (35 years-old during filming) and is splendidly portrayed by the director, Paul Mazursky, from the get-go, typically in alluring Mediterranean apparel. Likewise, statuesque Lucianne Buchanan appears in the final act as blond Delores. This was Ringwald's debut. She was fine for the meaty role of the daughter, but I was never enthralled by her, which isn't to say I don't like her. Actually, I'm not enamored by any of these women, but they're all certainly agreeable, one way or another.
There are several highlights, like Phillip coming home drunk to his wife's showbiz party where he awkwardly asks her producer (director Paul Mazursky) to dance. Needless to say, it's the epitome of an uncomfortable social situation. The best part about "Tempest," however, is that it's essentially an island flick, although the cast aren't necessarily castaways and the "island" is a little bit North of the tropics. If you're a sucker for island flicks, like me, then "Tempest" is worth checking out. It's uniquely entertaining and somehow warmhearted.
I realize Phillip (Cassavetes) is the Prospero character from The Bard's play, and Prospero was a magician, but the movie never explains Phillip's seeming ability to control the elements. We're just supposed to accept it. Why sure! In any case, I presume he's projecting his mental-spiritual struggles on to the forces of nature.
For those not in the know, Cassavetes and Rowlands were husband & wife for almost 36 years, which ended with the former's passing in 1989 at 59 years-of-age. He died of cirrhosis of the liver.
The film runs 142 minutes was shot in New York City; Atlantic City, NJ; and, mostly, Gytheio, Greece, which isn't an island, but the southern tip of the remote Mani peninsula of the Peloponnesus of Greece. WRITERS: Leon Capetanos & Mazursky.
GRADE: B-