A high-class call girl accused of murder fights for the right to stand trial rather than be declared mentally incompetent. Read more
| Starring | Barbra Streisand, Richard Dreyfuss, Karl Malden, Eli Wallach |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Ritt |
| Genres | Drama |
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A high-class call girl accused of murder fights for the right to stand trial rather than be declared mentally incompetent.
| Starring | Barbra Streisand, Richard Dreyfuss, Karl Malden, Eli Wallach |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Ritt |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Aug 2003 Production year: 1987 |
| Format | DVD |
You can imagine Tom Topor's play about a prostitute proving her sanity so that she can stand trial for manslaughter making for a cracking night at the theatre. That it is marginally less compelling as a film is down to director Martin Ritt's decision to reveal key facts via clumsily staged flashbacks rather than as courtroom testimony, as this considerably diminishes their impact. Even though the outcome is inevitable, this is still an involving drama thanks to the bullish performances of Barbra Streisand as the hooker and Richard Dreyfuss as her attorney. Eli Wallach and Robert Webber stand out in an accomplished supporting cast.
A star vehicle in the tradition of those Susan Hayward biopics featuring major emotions and an unironed wardrobe. The... read more on Time Out
Average film, good cast, nothing to write home about
Until recently, I have only been a fan of Barbra's singing career, however peer pressure pursuaded me to try a few of her films, and I soon arrived at Nuts.
Nuts tells the courtroom drama story of a high-class prostitute in her early 30s (Streisand) who has a violent episode with one of her clients, who dies as a result. She feels it's self-defence, however her high society parents are mortified at the idea of her being a prostitute, and go out of their way to demonstrate that their daughter is mentally ill, rather than let her disgrace them.
Unfortunately there is an element of improbability that also takes the shine of Barbra's acting, in that it's hard to imagine a man paying hundreds of dollars for a night with a 45 year old woman who looks like Barbra Streisand. Despite this, Barbra plays the character sufficiently well to almost carry it off, and the hilarious (if a little uncomfortable) smutty photos of her that appear in the film bring some sort of realism to the story.
The main problem with this film is the 18 certificate. It has been award as a result of Barbra having to say the F word repeatedly, and she just doesn't carry it off naturally. The character she plays doesn't seem like the swearing set anyway, so it's a pity that wasn't left out and the 15 certificate would have opened it to a wider audience.
Streisand's acting is better than sufficient, although it is more like stage acting than film acting. As usual in her films, she goes a little too far to be the centre of attention and steal the show. Ryan O'Neil makes a sucessful and concious effort to hold his own against her, resulting in a high tension classic 80s power-movie with a spine tingling twist and powerful, daring social lessons.
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