VIVA LAS VEGAS
My favorite A-M movie is Viva Las Vegas. This story is about a race car driver, Elvis Presley, who falls for the hotel's pool manager, Ann-Margret. Ann-Margret plays Rusty and is terrific in her role. She can sing, dance, and flirt with the best of them. Elvis Presley, who played Lucky seemed to enjoy being around and in the arms of A-M, but who wouldn't want to be in the arms of a woman who knows what she wants, sort of. When I think of A-M the first thing that pops up in my head is her singing, "The Lady Loves Me"
written by: Christina of the Ann-Margret mailing list
The Pleasure Seekers
"The Pleasure Seekers" is a movie loosely based on "Three Coins in the Fountain". In the movie, Ann-Margret (Fran), Carole Lynley (Maggie) and Pamela Tiffen (Suzy) are three American girls living in Madrid that share a three bedroom apartment. Ann-Margret’s character is an aspiring singer and Carol’s character works at a news bureau. What, if anything, Pamela’s character does for a living, is never made clear. Not that it makes much difference to the plot, but Carol and Pamela’s characters are former college roommates. Pamela’s character arrives in Spain at the beginning of the movie and moves into the apartment as the third roommate. What motivated her move to Spain is never addressed.
The movie is basically three love stories. Ann-Margret’s character falls in love with a handsome doctor (Andre Lawrence) after an accidental encounter. Of course, the handsome doctor is from a poor village and is too proud to accept Fran’s help establishing his clinic. Maggie is hopelessly in love with her older boss (Brian Keith), who is very much married. He is also very interested, but a full blown affair has not developed, much to Maggie’s frustration. In the meantime, a co-worker, Gardner McKay, is very much interested in Maggie, but can’t get past the friend stage. Suzy falls in love with the rich playboy, Tony Franciosca, who had broken Maggie’s heart the previous year.
Anyway, from a script point of view, the movie leaves a lot to be desired. Character development is rather minimal. Suzy (Pamela) is the stereotypical "good" girl whose sole agenda seems to be landing a husband. Maggie (Carole) is the career woman of the group, although her interest is primarily the boss, not the job. Ann-Margret’s character Fran is the most flamboyant of the three, but there are no details given about her life that would help flesh out the character.
The movie was filmed when all three women were in their early 20s and all three look gorgeous (especially Ann-Margret), which alone probably makes the movie worth watching. However, as in most of her movies, the real highlights are provided by Ann-Margret, who, unfortunately, due to the three story lines, is on screen for only about a third of the movie.
The first real highlight of the movie is Ann-Margret performing a flamenco number in a tight fitting pink dress with ruffles around the neckline and skirt. When she first comes on stage, a male flamenco dancer is just finishing his number and the two briefly kind of face off and dance together, with a great deal of electricity. Ann-Margret then sings the title song "The Pleasure Seekers".
The other major highlight is a beach scene with Ann-Margret and Andre Lawrence. A-M is dressed in a bikini with an open shirt and a straw hat. Her character rather playfully sing a song called "The World is Making Musica" in which she dances around on the beach. The number is very charming and Ann-Margret appears to be having a great time.
Review by sluggeram@aol.com of Onelist.
To paraphrase the movie, on any given Sunday, one team wins and another team loses. To me, the heart of the movie was not what happened on the football field, but the effect of football on the lives of all of those involved. At least in my opinion, Oliver Stone short changed the movie by too many shots of bodies colliding violently, when the movie would have been much more interesting if the time had been devoted to the characters.
In particular, the movie would have been richer if the relationship between Christina and her mother had been more fully developed. One is left to wonder through most of the movie why someone as young and beautiful as Christina is totally heartless and her mother has turned to alcohol. It is not until near the end of the movie when Ann-Margret, in a brilliantly acted and touching scene, provides any insight into what has happened.
Also short changed in the movie is the relationship between Cap and his success loving wife, Lauren Holly. What makes a wife want to force an injured husband onto the football field? Why does he stay with her? These questions are all left unanswered.
All in all, the movie is very well acted. Al Pacino is well cast as the coach, but I felt that some of the best moments belonged to people like Ann-Margret, Lauren Holly, and Charlton Heston, who were given far too brief a time on screen. However, the movie should leave even non-football fans with a lot of new thoughts as to what happens on "any given Sunday". However, be advised that the movie does contain violent football scenes and full frontal male nudity, as well as strong language.
Review by sluggeram@aol.com of Onelist.
