A real cult classic treat will be served for the lovers of all things 80s. The canny genre hybrid, directed by Julien Temple, moves in between romcom and Sci-Fi musical. Valerie, a manicurist (Geena Davis), yearns for intimacy and a more passionate spirit from her doctor fiancé, but instead, gets cheated on by the doctor, and proceeds to find unexpected substitutes who then replace the loss. Three furry aliens, Mac, Zeebo, and Wiploc don’t have it easy when adapting and transforming to fit the planet Earth, though they do find exquisite inspiration from e.g. yodeling Finnish women. Valerie knows her geography and notes that Finland is “the capital of Norway”
The swinging pop-funk-soundtrack by Nile Rodgers is a perfect match for the candy colored visual gags. The style could be described as the lovechild produced in the midst of an cocaine orgy of The Rocky Horror Show (1975), E.T. (1982), and Hairspray (1988). Remarkable amusement is brought on stage by Jim Carrey’s interpretation of the third visitor from space, accompanied by Jeff Goldblum and Damon Wayans. The fast-paced plot, growing into an interspecies romance, camouflages a hint of Dantean picket fence aesthetics, and more than a bit of chaotic speeding anarchy of Mack Sennet’s. Temple’s rakish grip illustrates his solid background with music videos.
Lauri Timonen