DVD Reviews: Moonstruck

Moonstruck [Blu-ray]

People make fun of me when I say that Nicholas Cage is one of my favorite actors. Even my future wife says that he is purely ridiculous. But, then I start with the defense and it usually begins with Raising Arizona. Now it will start with Moonstruck. I know it’s hard to believe of a classic like this one, I the film geek of Rhode Island, have never seen Moonstruck. Even my wife to be has seen this movie and everyone that I know really loves it. Maybe I was traumatized by the “Turn back Time” music video as a child, I don’t know, but generally I really despise Cher. I suck it up and popped in. Usually I get to a bit of my option before the synopsis but tonight I’m saving it for later.

Loretta Castorini (Cher) is a woman in her late thirties, a widow, who lives with her parents in a duplex apartment in Brooklyn. She is engaged to marry Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), a bland man, more out of a resigned duty than actual love. Before their wedding Johnny takes a trip out to visit his mother who is sick and leaves Loretta the occupation of playing the olive leaf with his brother Ronny by notifying him of their approaching wedding. Ronny (Nicholas Cage) hasn’t forgiven Johnny for being the cause of his accident which caused him the loss of his hand (and subsequently, his then-bride-to-be), but he does fall for Loretta, and hard. After a heated affair Loretta out of respect for Johnny tries to avoid Ronny, but his dark looks and intense manliness win her over. In the meantime, Loretta’s mother Rose Castorini (Olympia Dukakis) is not only suspecting her husband Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) is seeing another woman, but is also herself the subject of admiration from a college professor and wonders why do men chase women. Things get complicated when Johnny returns from Sicily to tell Loretta they can’t be married.