Mr Black This is one of my all time favourites since the first time I saw it. No one is shot, blown up,, run over. No digital effects. No bombs, no explosions. Just a nice story, good cast, and fun script. Always been a big Billy Crystal fan as well as Debra Winger. The rest of the cast are also all well known actors who do a great job in a unique story told by flashbacks. It's one of the few films I can pull out every couple of years, sit back and enjoy.

SnoopyStyle NBA referee Mickey Gordon (Billy Crystal) is willing to make the tough calls on the court. His best friend sports writer Andy (Joe Mantegna) is on a group date with Liz (Cynthia Stevenson) waiting for Mickey and others to show up. Andy recounts Mickey's strangest first meeting ever with Ellen Gordon (Debra Winger). Mickey traveled to France to bury his late hated father with his war comrades. The airline lost the body and it's up to customer service rep Ellen to help. After a wonderful time in Paris, he had to return for the new NBA season.There are some great stuff in this slightly offkilter rom-com. Crystal and Winger get to say some great lines with their fun delivery. In general, they are able to project a good relationship chemistry. There are fun observational bits like Ellen's muttering father. This is also noted for many cameos by NBA players. There are small deviations from the rom-com formula that keeps this from being better. Usually the formulaic start is more combative. This one is quirky but not heated. It fails to raise the temperature of the relationship. The relationship is retold by others. It leaves the flow disjointed but at least, they are able to keep the final status of the relationship a mystery. Overall, there are some great bits and lines by great comedic actors.

TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews Is there a specific reason why Crystal has not directed more often? I'm feeling like starting a petition and sending a copy of this to anyone who would potentially sign it. He, Mantegna, Kavner(the three reasons I gave it the much-deserved chance), Winger and Stevenson are fantastic. Their performances and the timing, spot-on. This is incredibly funny, in the clever, dry, not trying too hard kind of way. The humor does have a few gross moments, however, apart from that, it's all hilarious, if you're into the sarcastic, at times cynical, type of material. Hardly any gags or jokes fall flat, throughout it. It's well-acted, and the characters are good. In addition, it's highly involving, and you find yourself caring, not just laughing, during this. Part of the emotion comes from the honesty of this, that it isn't your usual romantic comedy of "boy who looks like a male model meets female lead who appears to have stepped right off the train from Glamourville", and so on and so forth. This has ups *and* downs, and goes beyond the superficial level of the Hollywood pap that we all know, without forgetting what genre of film it is. The story is imaginative and holds surprises. The writing is top-notch. Do note that this is not for kids, the rating the MPAA gave it makes sense. There is language and themes herein. I recommend this to any fan of anyone who was part of creating it, Billy in particular. 7/10

Ed Uyeshima I can see why Debra Winger went into a self-imposed exile after this tiresome 1995 studio product, as she looks ill-at-ease as a romantic comedy lead. Here is an accomplished actress who seizes roles with a palpable life force when she is in the right vehicle. However, Winger seems lost playing against the stand-up shenanigans of Billy Crystal, and consequently they never really connect in any believable way. Much of the blame has to be placed on Crystal, who not only starred but also directed and co-wrote the film with Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. He seems intent on doing a retread of "When Harry Met Sally" but this time following a seemingly incompatible couple through marital discord.Crystal plays Mickey Gordon, an NBA referee who tries to abide by his estranged father's wishes to be buried in France. The airline has unfortunately lost the casket, and their Paris-based customer relations executive Ellen Andrews tries to correct things for Mickey. Of course, they fall in love since it is Paris, and they get married almost immediately. Complications ensue with Mickey on the road and Ellen unable to conceive a baby. The central conceit of the film is its framing device, a dinner where a group of their friends congregate and share their remembrances of Mickey and Ellen's courtship and marital problems. How they are able to relay such intimate details is never really addressed since it's a plotting contrivance we are supposed to accept.The other problem is that Crystal is not really acting here but performing his comedy routine as Mickey. Many of his lines sound overly familiar with many of the jokes having a forced feeling, and the role is virtually interchangeable with his Harry from the earlier film. Nevertheless, there are some truly funny bits, such as the running gag with Ellen's senile father (played by a befuddled William Hickey) repeating road signs in the car and the scene with the pigeon getting stuck to the side of Ellen's head. But it's not nearly enough. A solid supporting cast has been assembled as the friends - Joe Mantegna, Julie Kavner (particularly funny), Richard Masur, Cathy Moriarty, John Spencer, Cynthia Stevenson - though they act more like a chorus to the proceedings. The inevitable ending feels hollow since the relationship never felt that resonant. Despite some attempts at serious moments during the second half, this is the type of lightweight film that doesn't linger too long in one's memory. The 2000 DVD has no extras.