For The Boys Directed by Mark Rydell Thanks to Odeon Cinema Brighton WHAT IS the secret of comedy? Erm, timing So, when is the worst time to release a musical comedydrama which shows America how pointless fighting Korea and Vietnam really were? Yes, just after the end of the Gulf War. Hardly going to rate high on the '"feel-good' factor.
Such was the fate of For The Boys'. Still, it's not as if star and co-producer, Bette ing. Many soldiers who were extras on the film were called up for the war while it was sing made. Needless to say. the forte ped in aste pys', details the career of song and dance team, Dixie L conard (Midler) and cadie sparks gate Caan). They meet in 1942 with Sparks at the height of his fame, the force's favourite. Dixie is thrown in at the deep end to appear alongshamelessly sentimental liberalism. And indeed it is. Re member, it is very much Midler's film. And like 'Beaches' the audience is dragged through a rollercoaster of emotions, and I, for one, at times, felt manipulated.
Nonetheless, while Midler, in her too good to be true towards the vitriolic, Caan weighted, performance.
However, the real problem of the film, is not that it doesn't confront McCarthyism or America's involve ment in Korea or Vietnam. It is that it doesn't confront hem seriously, or provide any real answers. But that's as much as we can expect drama at the moment, 1 sup pose.
Essentially, the movie is a big-budget musical. And the music, especially the 40s big band sound, which features prominently, is not to every body's taste. But if you want a good comedy/weepy night out at the movies that is fairly portical, then tris 1s tre one for you.