Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

A Major Disappointment

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

From what I've seen of Peter Weir's movies, he often likes to focus on cultures and historical events. "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "The Last Wave", "Gallipoli", "The Year of Living Dangerously" and "Witness" are examples. The rom-com "Green Card" is an unusual movie for him. It's an enjoyable movie. My favorite scene is when Georges attends the party with Bronte and has an awkward experience with the piano.There's nothing special about the plot, but it's an OK movie. As to the issue of immigration, I guess that it should remind everyone that immigrants are what built this country.

A marriage of convenience to New York environmental activist Brontë (Andie MacDowell) gets French waiter Georges (Gérard Depardieu) a green card to work in America. Brontë gets a sort of "green card" too, in the form of permission to rent an apartment with a rooftop greenhouse. In fact, the colour green is in almost every scene: an emerald green lamp, a nicely placed green wine bottle in several shots, Brontë's clothes, and of course, plants, which appear in pretty much every interior shot –the apartment, a friend's house, restaurants. The exception is Brontë's bedroom (where she's always alone), which is desert colours. This is a very interior movie, and I love how Weir focuses on little details –feet coming down the stairs, the peephole in the front door, water dripping from leaves in the greenhouse –to make the closed spaces interesting. The first time we see Georges and Brontë together, they are saying goodbye on the steps of the courthouse after tying the knot. Suspicion from Immigration agents forces the pair to try proving they have a real marriage. They quickly find that they can't stand each other. But the circumstances force them to spend time learning the details of each other's radically different lives, and then repeat them to the Immigration officials in tones of love and admiration, in order to sound like they are mad for each other. Eventually it has an unexpected effect. The point is that acting and speaking like you love someone can actually bring about what it pretends. I think that's true, even though it goes against conventional ideas of being "genuine", which can simply be an excuse for rudeness. This serious theme is mixed with several situations drawn from the comedy of errors handbook. Green Card has one of the funniest scenes of all time, in my opinion, in which Georges must find a way to convince a room full of New York society people that he's an accomplished musical composer. The laughter is generated by the kind of tension between straight-lacedness and mayhem of a Marx Brothers routine. Bebe Neuwirth as Brontë's friend Lauren is wonderful, nothing remotely like her Lilith character in Cheers, and her reaction to Georges in the musical episode makes the scene even more hilarious.

I think Gerard could have acted more loosely, an example can be seen at the end of the movie, when they get married again. There he looks at her with a different look, more natural.I like very much this movie, because it is more related to real life romance, when people learn to love the variations of character and how this makes us unique. I have always thought: How boring it would be to live with a clone of myself. I wonder whatever happened with Andy McDowell, why do this actress cannot get a good role. Jean Reno is missing around Hollywood too. I hope to see more foreign actors making great movies.

Last week I finally watched GC. I have been expecting to watch GC because I know Andie McDowell in it. She has unspeakable charming for me. I remember that I was attracted deeply by her when I first watched Four weddings and one funeral.I think that she is different from American sweet heart Meg Ryan (my favorite actress too). Meg is cute girl next door. But her recent film In the cut is totally failure. Among her movies When Harry met Sally is my most favorite. Comparing with her, Andie is more mature. Her show in Groundhog Day brought me much pleasure. This time GC is better. Of cause Gerard Depardieu should not be neglected. He is sure to be one of the best French actors.The most unforgettable scene is Gerard spoke lively poem in French while playing piano in order to win green plant for Andie. No doubt it is the most touching moment in the film.The good ending is welcome and heart-warming. Andie and Gerard duet is more impressive than the other two duets (Andie and Hugh grant, Andie and Bill Murray). Really hope they can cooperate again. Maybe GC2. 9/10