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Laramie Movie Scope:
L.A. Story

A funny, magical film

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by Robert Roten, Film Critic
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April 24, 1991 -- ``L.A. Story,'' is a minor classic in the grand tradition of Woody Allen and is one of the best films Steve Martin has ever done.

Like an expanded portion of Woody Allen's ``Annie Hall'' (the part that takes place in L.A.) ``L.A. Story'' is all about the craziness of the so-called California lifestyle. Steve Martin has done an excellent job of capturing the craziness and unreality of life in modern day Los Angeles. In one scene he and the driver of a truck carry on a running gun battle while Martin blithely carries on a conversation with co-star Victoria Tennant as if nothing unusual is going on.

In another scene, he gets into his car and drives 20 feet down the street, stops the car, gets out and visits his neighbor. There is an aura of magic in the film as Martin gets messages from a miracle-working electronic freeway message sign which was a bagpipe in a former life (you have to be there).

Watching this film is a magical, whimsical experience, the kind of thing that Hollywood does all too infrequently. It is a very nice love story, a social commentary and it is extremely funny.

Like all Steve Martin projects, however, it is hit and miss. Some of the jokes hit the target, some don't, some are subtle and some are too heavy-handed. It is not as uneven as some of Martin's earlier films. It ranks up there with ``Roxanne'' and ``All of Me.''

On a scale of one to 10 this film rates an nine.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at my last name at lariat dot org. [Mailer button: image of letter and envelope]

(If you e-mail me with a question about this or any other movie or review, please mention the name of the movie you are asking the question about, otherwise I may have no way of knowing which film you are referring to)