Nadine

source: Nadine

This is a sort of light hearted adventure romance that has probably the worst possible writing of characters and plot. The obnoxious bad guy is one thing, and meant for the dweebs who love obnoxious bad guys. The hero is impossible to relate to. He begins as a guy who has every woman on Earth already as girlfriends, and add to that he has ESP, add to that he is a demon possessed control freak (when Nadine gives him a gift, he insists on her telling him every single thing she ever did. Nadine is just as demonic. She begins by killing some guy, who maybe deserved it, but the fact is that she just does it to get some photos of herself back from him. Only the most demon possessed people can relate to this, or even understand it. Everything that happens is contrived to help the most demon possessed control freaks. That's poor writing. Too bad, because there was a lot of time and money spent on this in production. The directing is there. The writing isn't. That makes it even worse, being a "waste" of resources for something with zero inspiration and strategy.

I think this movie deserves 5.5 stars. The beginning is very entertaining but after that the film decreases a lot. I have always liked the work of the two leading Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges who show they have a great chemistry in this film. The main problem with "Nadine" is the plot because the performances are good and funny, even though the supporting cast doesn't have much to do in here. "Nadine" is about how a married couple in their process of divorce gets accidentally involved in a murder. That murder was done to get some confidential maps that represent a great business opportunity, those maps are now at Nadine's possession by mistake. Now the characters of Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges are wanted by some bad guys who want those maps. I recommend to watch it only if you are a fan of Kim Basinger or Jeff Bridges.

This is the kind of movie that starts out with strikingly real characterizations--Nadine is herself quite a piece of work, Texas country simple but shrewd with a strong will--and an interesting premise, but doesn't maintain the excellence. Kim Basinger is gorgeous in the title role and natural. Jeff Brides plays her estranged husband Vernon Hightower who owns a bar in Austin, Texas circa 1954 that is not doing much in the way of business. He is one of those guys who dream of making it big financially in business as a proof of his manhood, a guy who has always just gotten by on his good looks, a guy who often lies and cuts corners and can't be trusted, but a guy with a smile to charm a rattlesnake. These two really love each other but are currently in the process of getting divorced and Vernon has a girl friend (Renee, played with eager finesse by Glenne Headly) that he wants to marry, he thinks. The plot begins with Nadine going to a photographer's studio and demanding to get back some "art studio" shots of her that were taken under the guise of being shown to Hugh Hefner at Playboy. The photographer is murdered and Nadine mistakenly ends up with some photos of the plans for the new Interstate that will be built nearby, plans that Buford Pope (Rip Torn) and his thugs want for themselves because, if you know where the highway will be built you can buy up the property near it on the cheap and then sell it later for a big profit. Vernon knows this too and when he finds the photos in Nadine's purse, he takes off with them. The questions that the plot will answer are (1) Will Vernon and Nadine escape from Buford Pope and his strongmen with the photos and their lives? and (2) Will Vernon and Nadine realize they really love each other and find true love and happiness together? There is a shoot-out in a junkyard near the end that's...different, and there's a neat car chase and...well, the movie that started out so well deteriorates into something ordinary, but not all that bad. Robert Benton, who wrote the script for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and both wrote and directed Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) directed. He has a fine feel for character and can write authentic and witty dialogue. He is not at his best here; nonetheless this is definitely worth seeing mainly because Bridges and Basinger do such a great job of filling up the screen. Basinger in particular is wonderful. See it for her. (Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

my mom took me to see this when i was a kid in the late 80's and we loved it. i had forgotten about it until i saw on cable recently.this movie is adorable and just a good movie to watch one night when you are cuddled up on the couch. i really love the way that basinger talks as nadine.she is really a hoot. she and jeff have great chemistry. the basic plot is a pregnant hair dresser who is estranged from her husband finds herself drawn back to him when they stumble across a crime caper. if anyone remembers this movie fondly i recommend ordering it online. you can get it a very good price. i highly recommend this movie if you are a fan of kim , jeff or of romantic comedies in general

This a comedy that is not funny and a caper that is not interesting. The 83 minutes felt like twice that. The pitch for this picture is almost unimaginable--lets make a movie about a real estate deal and tell it through the the voice of an actress who is unwatchable. We'll waste the talents of great actors like Rip Torn and Jeff Bridges, and kill off a clutch of C- actors along the way. Bridges is a low-rent, charming bar owner who just wants his estranged wife, Kim Basinger to sign the divorce papers so he can refinance his bar. There is no chemistry between Basinger and Bridges, and the Hollywood version of funny southerners is as stale and terrible as ever. Just a rung or two up from the Dukes of Hazard. The hokey accents and music are unintentionally funny. The positive reviews are absolutely baffling.

This film centers on an about-to-be divorced couple (Basinger and Bridges) in the Austin of 1954, who get thrown back together when Basinger accidentally comes into possession of the state's secret plans for a new highway. Bridges steals the plans from her and figures on using the information to get rich, until the arch-hustler criminal Torn gets other ideas. It's a classic mix of romantic comedy and caper movie, with a pair of thugs working for Torn who might be straight out of Home Alone. It's not as if the plot is all that thrilling, and in truth if it had been shot in black and white and were 50 years older, it wouldn't stand out from some of Jimmy Cagney's potboilers from the 30's. But the three main actors are all terrific (especially Basinger), and we even get a brief cameo appearance by George Costanza's father (Jerry Stiller), who winds up in a way that George Costanza might have dreamed about. Recommended.

In 1954, in Austin, Texas, the sexy Nadine Hightower (Kim Basinger) pays a visit to the photographer Raymond Escobar (Jerry Stiller) begging him to retrieve the photos he took from her since she believed that he would show them to Hugh Hefner. He gives an envelope to her mistakenly with the plans of the route of a new road instead and while she is waiting to leave his office, he is murdered bu his client. Nadine becomes the prime suspect and when her ex-husband Vernon Hightower (Jeff Bridges) visits her asking to sign the divorce papers, he sees the documents and realizes that they are valuable. While Vernon wants to make money with the documents, the powerful criminal Buford Pope (Rip Torn) chases Nadine and Vernon to retrieve the plans. "Nadine" is an entertaining romantic adventure, with Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges showing a great chemistry. Maybe the best thing in this movie is the chance to see Kim Basinger in the top of her beauty and sensuality. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "Nadine - Um Amor a Prova de Balas" ("Nadine – A Bullet Proof Love")

I saw this movie with a friend. Immediately after leaving the theater, he asked, "what was that movie about?" I racked my brains and could only remember one seen where the lead lady is crossing between two buildings on a rickety ladder. The movie can't be very good if you suppress over 99% of it.