One of those Hollywood disasters that you almost – and I stress almost – have to see. Francis Ford Coppola made a curious follow-up to the great Apocalypse Now with this, a musical experiment that’s at once gaudy and sterile. The movie has the flash of neon but
also its deadening hiss. Neon features prominently considering the story is set in Las Vegas, where two lovers (Teri Garr and Frederic Forrest) bicker, break up and then make up over the Fourth of July. What they don’t do is sing. The extensive musical interludes feature songs by Tom Waits, who performs on the soundtrack with Crystal Gayle. It’s an artistic decision that helps explain the film’s coldness. With its elaborate sets, extravagant dance numbers and shimmering cinematography, One From the Heart may be something of a precursor to Moulin Rouge, but it’s decidedly missing the unabashed emotions of that film.
