Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Two Much Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 7, 2018

By the mid-1990s, Antonio Banderas was a highly respected actor in his native Spain, having built his reputation working with esteemed directors such as Pedro Almodovar. However, an itch to join the Hollywood elite proved impossible to ignore, with Banderas trying to make his mark on bigger projects, including “The Mambo Kings,” “Philadelphia,” and “Interview with the Vampire.” 1995’s “Two Much” represents a bridge built between his previous achievements in European cinema and his California dreaming, putting the actor in the middle of a semi-farce with two actresses clearly unfit for the thespian challenge. Banderas isn’t to blame for the general lethargy of “Two Much,” as he gives an engaged performance. However, director Fernando Trueba doesn’t know exactly what he wants from the PG-13 picture, which doesn’t offer much more than tedious antics, dreary line-readings, and a distinct lack of heat between the star and his leading ladies. It’s all meant to be a rollicking good time, but the feature doesn’t have the refinement to become anything more than a chore to watch.

Things are not going very well for Art (Antonio Banderas). An art dealer struggling to make ends meet, Art has turned to low-level crime to pay the bills, preying on widows of the recently deceased to complete fraudulent deals on his paintings. One such encounter puts Art into the presence of Gene (Danny Aiello), a burly, connected guy who’s also the ex-husband of Betty (Melanie Griffith), a bubbly woman who takes an immediate shine to Art’s jittery ways. After spending the night together, a series of signs secure Betty’s determination to marry Art, a commitment he wants nothing to do with but can’t force himself to break. After meeting Betty’s disapproving sister, Liz (Daryl Hannah), Art is inspired to create Bart, his fictional twin brother, permitting himself an opportunity to enjoy a stimulating intellectual relationship with Liz while dodging monetary commitments and Betty’s attention, giving him a chance to consider a new scam to slip out of trouble. As Art attempts to give life to Bart, he finds himself in deeper trouble as love emerges with Liz, while Gene makes it clear that he doesn’t want another man near Betty, putting pressure on the stranger to disappear.

A character named Art who deals art. That’s about the level of creativity the screenplay for “Two Much” is working with, but the material takes inspiration from a Donald Westlake novel, which also formed the basis for a 1984 French adaptation. The update takes the shenanigans to Miami, identifying Art as a desperate man who doesn’t take responsibility seriously. With help from Gloria (Joan Cusack), his administrative assistant, Art struggles to remain one step ahead of trouble, evading creditors, his landlord, and even the artists he’s supposed to be representing. The writing imagines the character as a lovable scamp, but Art is actually quite unappealing, habitually making trouble for himself and screwing others over. “Two Much” has a likability problem, which isn’t a positive when dealing with a story that offers two versions of Art for nearly 120 minutes of screen time, finding the screenplay unable to crack the code on the dealer’s enjoyable impishness as he bombs around Miami, taking advantage of grief-stricken people.

The cutesiness of “Two Much” escalates after Betty and Art enjoying their first marathon coupling, finding pillow talk and the accidental discovery of a ring giving Betty all the motivation she needs to marry for a third time. Silliness soon floods the picture, keeping Trueba busy finding ways to keep Art anxious and on the move. Again, “Two Much” is structured like a classic screwball comedy, with the main character caught in an impossible situation, trying to escape capture through the invention of a twin sibling, who’s merely Art with glasses and his long hair unleashed. The illusion isn’t much, but the screenplay is determined to do much with it, creating a heightened tennis match where Art must become Bart to appeal to Liz, being his most honest and natural self inside his fiction, while Art also struggles to keep Betty even, finding her emotional volatility threatening, especially with Gene lurking around, teasing violence if they’re ever left alone together in a room.

The results of his slapstick cocktail are predictable, with Trueba organizing a few scenes where Art is involved in various quick changes and near- misses as he becomes Bart for Liz, only to return to himself for Betty. A sequence covering wake-up wooziness is the film’s lengthiest set piece, watching Bart handle a morning after situation with Liz, trying to keep her charmed and unaware of his ruse, also tending to Betty, who was drugged the night before, only now coming out of her haze to find Art in her bed. It’s the premiere event in “Two Much,” and while Banderas acts the bejesus out of the scene (he’s a terrific actor, but he needs stronger material to make the most of his idiosyncrasies), Trueba also has to juggle Hannah and Griffith, who aren’t built for this type of absurdity, bringing the effort to a dead stop with their minimal energy.

Two Much Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation is another catalog title from Disney that hasn't been refreshed for its BD debut. However, the essentials of the viewing experience aren't extremely rough, with colors keeping up the Miami mood with brighter primaries, finding costuming doing a fine job with blues and yellows, while red lipstick on Griffith pops with ease. Greenery is pleasant overall. Detail is slightly diluted by baked-in filtering, but skin textures aren't completely erased, preserving whatever body heat the production was intending as it surveys flirtations. Set decoration is also passable, supplying a look at artwork and lifestyle displays. Delineation is acceptable. Source is okay shape, but dirt and debris are common, especially in the first act, along with some mild scratches.

Two Much Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix maintains a steady Floridian beat, giving soundtrack selections some percussive weight and horns maintain sharp instrumentation. Scoring cues are equally supportive, preserving comedic emphasis and dramatic flow without steamrolling over the performances. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, making it easy to follow thespian choices and Banderas's accent, which offers challenging clarity during panicky moments. Atmospherics are decent, capturing crowd activity and oceanside environments.

Two Much Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Home Video Trailer (2:07, SD) is included.

Two Much Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are questionable areas of comedy in "Two Much," most pointedly the use of Art's elderly father, Sheldon (Eli Wallach), as a tool of disaster, making light of the character's descent into dementia. In another movie, perhaps such darkness could be inspired, but here, it's just sad, especially when Art manipulates his dad into believing there actually is a Bart. Trueba tries to set a mood of lusciousness with dewy cinematography, close-ups of nearly nude actors, and some playful bedroom antics, but it's a small offering of appeal in a picture that often drag across the ground, unable to make its mild offering of ridiculousness appealing. "Two Much" goes on for far too long, and stabs of sincerity are unwelcome. The core appeal of the film remains with Art in panic mode, allowing Banderas to show off his skills with slipperiness, but there's just not enough levity to reach from the start to finish.