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Amy Irving gives a good performance here as
this very appealing girl who is stuck with the notion of being with
someone yet can’t quite part with her independence and romantic
fantasies. She’s restrained and visually appealing without trying, as
she usually achieves. Peter Reigert is very entertaining as the straight
forward Sam, the pickle salesman who really understands Isabelle, which
is why he displays a great sense of patience, yet never allows himself
to be toyed with. The two have a palpable chemistry, which then becomes
a missed opportunity considering these characters could have created a
real sense of tension together.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from
“Crossing Delancey.” But I wasn’t completely expecting this. For a movie
that pretty much sets itself as more of a Jewish romance between two
Jewish folks, I wanted originality. I wanted something to remember with
fondness long after I’ve finished. What I got was basically just another
romance set to a Jewish tone. In the end, though, I knew I should have
cared about these characters, because the writing sets them up to be
homely, and engaging, yet I always felt at a distance from minute one.
It’s not because of the Jewish tones, but mostly because the characters
are pre-meditated and keep the audience at a healthy monotonous
relationship that never progresses even during Isabelle’s romance.
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We’re supposed to believe Isabelle is this
intelligent woman, yet can never really discover the man she
has her eye on is pompous, while the man she’s set up with
is merely nothing but a partner she’ll have to settle with
to live up to her grandmother’s pressures. I was never
pulled in to “Crossing Delancey” at any instance, and that’s
a shame, when you can consider the talent in the cast. It
comes off as a weaker “Annie Hall,” with the usual romance
doldrums we’ve seen before this. |
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Plot devices aplenty including the
interference/obstacle who will make Isabelle halt in her pursuit of the
right man for a while even though we're aware of who she'll choose, accidental
coincidences reminding Isabelle of her decision between the two men in
her life, and her deep seated need for a partner, it’s just all so
typical. Coincidences are too coincidental to be taken seriously, and
characters are too cliché to root for. I just didn’t care for these
characters, and the trite plot paired with the muddled atmosphere, make
“Crossing Delancey” a pretty competent waste of time.
If you’re looking for more of the same,
“Crossing Delancey” is for you, but in spite of the good performances by
Amy Irving, and Peter Reigert, it’s a middling recycled romance with
characters who are never as charming as we'd like them to be.
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