Sandcooler
"Slums of Beverly Hills" is a movie that captured me right from the start, for several reasons. The hapless characters are all very likable and often painfully realistic, you side with them immediately even if you barely know them yet. This is mainly because the movie is so well-acted, especially Natasha Lyonne gives a very inspired performance and manages to make even the weaker material work. The dialogues aren't always that great, but the occasional poor line doesn't really affect the gritty realism this movie thrives on so much. It's rough around the edges, and that's probably why people appreciate this to such extent. It also passes by very smoothly, everything gels together well even though there's barely a story to speak of (and whatever story there is never gets resolved anyway). It's still really compelling for reasons you can't quite figure out. "Slums of Beverly Hills" is one of those movies that prove you can make something great with no money, because good ideas are totally free. Awesome movie.
Doug Galecawitz
i'm not quite sure exactly why i like this film but as the credits rolled i was smiling nonetheless. the orange/brown/pea-soup green 70's setting of it was one of the things i found authentic and quirky about it. the whole texture of the movies seems saturated by that awful color scheme, as though the whole world is being invaded and lorded over by kitsch. another more base reason is the infinitely watchable natasha lyonne as the blossomed teenager coping with an increasingly unstable world. first her family life and now even her body seem to follow wild and unpredictable spurts. she is obviously quite attractive and i would say the best actor/actress to come out of the American pie bunch and thus not surprisingly the most overlooked. the characters all seem believable to the point that one has to understand that some biographical elements are playing heavily into the story. that said brings to mind the old adage that truth is often stranger than fiction, and in this case it also is more entertaining.7 out of 10
hokeybutt
THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS (3 outta 5 stars) I figured this was going to be just another silly movie about the trials and tribulations of spoiled rich kids in Cali. Actually it's a pretty good coming-of-age story circa 1976. Vivian (Natasha Lyonne) has just grown breasts and now considers herself deformed. Her dad (Alan Arkin) is a divorced man of almost-retirement-age who has never been able to provide a stable home for his kids and keep dragging them from place to place like nomads (and presumably keeping one step ahead of bill collectors). One brother is a struggling actor and the other is too young to really fit in anywhere. In a desperate attempt to make ends meet Arkin takes in his troubled 29 year old niece (Marisa Tomei), charging his rich brother a fee for keeping an eye on her. So they all move into a small, cheap Beverly Hills apartment block and try to cope. Very funny moments... punctuated by some heavy drama and some unexpected twists. One of the better roles that Alan Arkin had had in recent years... proving that he hasn't lost his touch as he's gotten older (unlike many other comic actors of his generation). I have never been much of a fan of Marisa Tomei but I liked her a lot in this movie. The scenes of her and Lyonne conversing in their "secret language" are priceless!
anonreviewer
Now, I am a middle aged male movie buff, and although I like and have watched lots of movies, and all kinds of movies, comedies are not that high on my list, generally speaking. When I read the tv guide, it said this movie was a comedy. So I tuned in, expecting to not be too excited about the movie. I tuned in about 10 minutes after the start of the movie, and gave the movie my partial attention. But within 2 or 3 minutes, this movie had my full attention. I could see right away this one was something special. It comes as close to depicting a genuine species of lower middle class family life as I have ever seen. It is a real gem. And it is not really a true comedy, although it is quite funny sometimes. It sort of defies definition or categorization. Sort of wry and humorous exploration of the dynamics of a typical struggling, lower-middle class family.No fancy camera angles. Not a special effect in sight (and I have enjoyed many movies with fancy camera angles and special effects--I am no snob). But this movie is cinema stripped to its bare essence. Just pure script and acting. And what a script. Marisa Tomei is incredible. She should have won the Oscar for this one.See it!BTW, I cannot believe the lady who scripted and directed this one has not gone on to do more directing or writing! What a waste of talent!
AD
