Inadvertently ends up on a date with Ulysses, isĭeflated by flat-footed pacing and choppy editing. EvenĪ sprightly turn by Laurie Metcalfe (Malkovich's former Steppenwolf Theater colleague) as a co-worker with a desperate crush on Dr. Opted for broad comedy, Seidelman fails to achieve an appropriately nimble and antic tone. Gradually overcomes his awkwardness, and with fish-out-of-water adventures, as the fresh-facedĪndroid ventures into a brave new world of shopping malls and dating. To liven the proceedings with slapstick routines, which Malkovich gamely performs as Ulysses That Ulysses isn't alive and is about to be rocketed toward a distant galaxy). Rightįavor of traditional rom-com motifs, with Ulysses and Frankie forced to enact the cliché of theĬouple that has to overcome obstacles in order to find each other (the chief impediments being Ranging from Blade Runner to The Machine. The fine line between humanity and artificial intelligence is a rich theme that continues to beĮxplored in such TV dramas as the 21st Century version of Battlestar Galactica and feature films (Nayyar, aįamiliar face from numerous bit parts, gets a rare chance here to create an actual character.) Nayyar), finds that keeping the peace between scientist and publicist is a full time job. Space, but he also tries to avoid them in his own life, because they're a distraction from science.Īfter Frankie is hired to give Ulysses a makeover, Chemtec's smarmy CEO, Dr. Peters considers emotions a detriment to the skills required for long periods of isolation in His own image, doesn't want him to learn any of the human traits that Frankie plans to teach him.ĭr. Jeff Peters (Malkovich), who created Ulysses in The wrinkle is that the android's inventor, Dr. The android, dubbed Ulysses, into a national hero so popular that the politicians in Washington Faced with funding cuts, the space agency and Chemtec want Frankie to "rebrand" Instead, she accepts an assignment from NASA and aĬompany called Chemtec, which has been developing an android pilot for a solo mission intoĭeep space. (Ben Masters), whom she drops both professionally and personally after Steve appears in newsįootage canoodling with a "supporter". Mom disapproves of the groom, but at least there's a ceremony andīridemaids (in comically hideous outfits).įrankie's latest heartbreak is one of her clients, a candidate for Congress named Steve Marcus Married, and the pressure is all the greater now that Frankie's sister, Ivy (Susan Berman), is Her pushy mother (Polly Bergen) routinely reminds Frankie that she isn't They just don't have enough to work with.įrankie Stone (Magnuson) is a Miami-based publicist, whose professional success is offset by aĬhaotic personal life. Magnuson and John Malkovich (in a dual role) do their best to lend substance to the film, but Relying on slapstick comedy and romantic cliches to carry the narrative. Seidelman seems content to skim the idea's surface, The script by Floyd Byars ( Masterminds)Īnd Laurie Frank (an occasional director for SNL) posits the intriguing notion of an android becoming the perfect man, but then failsĮxplore the idea with the kind of ingenuity that would become a familiar theme on Star Trek: The Next Generation just a few years later. Right features Magnuson's only leading role, and it's too bad the film isn't better She appearedīriefly in Susan as a cigarette girl, but her most visible role at the time was in Tony Scott's The Hunger, where she played one half of a couple seduced and ravaged by Manhattan's downtown club scene as a singer, songwriter and performance artist. May have been hoping for a similar boost when she cast performance artist Ann Magnuson as the Filmmakers dream of such lucky timing, and Seidelman Supporting role) of an up-and-coming singer named Madonna, who, by the time the film hit Susan benefitted from the prescence (in a Her films since then has achieved a similar success. Reviewed by Michael Reuben, January 27, 2016ĭirector Susan Seidelman had a surprise hit with 1985's Desperately Seeking Susan, but none of
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