Such a frustrating disappointment

One of the best films i have seen

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

About halfway through "No Small Affair," there's a scene where Laura, the singer played by Demi Moore, belts out a knockout rendition of the Madeira/Dorsey standard, "I'm Glad There Is You." It's a jazzy paean to romance. Watching the movie again recently, I was jolted when Laura sang the line about "underrated treasures", because it's a capsule description of the film itself. "No Small Affair," unheralded in its day and rarely revived since, is itself a treasure, a gem among the gravel of cynical 1980s films.It's a coming-of-age tale, chronicling the conversion of Charles Cummings (Jon Cryer) from gawky teenager to confident young adult. Nothing new there, except that director Jerry Schatzberg and screenwriters Charles Bolt and Terence Mulcahy have fashioned a charming film that sings with a bittersweet passion about Cummings' wrenching transformation. His catalyst is Laura, the 23-year-old saloon singer played by Demi Moore. With her youthful yet worldly manner, and her scratchy violin voice playing its siren song on Cummings' sensibilities, the lad is a goner. What ensues is a funny and endearing rite-of-passage story with brilliantly clever complications.Cummings -- he prefers not to be called Charles -- is a 16-year-old amateur photographer who likes to shoot pictures of colorful San Francisco locales. One day, when Laura and a friend wander into camera range, Cummings waves them off, but not before he's snapped a few shots of Laura's beautiful face. Seeing that face later in his proof sheets, Cummings is hooked.Infatuated beyond reason, Cummings searches for his new beloved. He begins by staking out the dock where he first saw her. After several hours of fruitless waiting, he sulks: "Someone said, if you stand in one spot long enough, the whole world will pass by. I don't know who said that, but he's an idiot."Fortune finally smiles on Cummings on a night out with his big brother Leonard (Peter Frechette) and Leonard's fiancée Susan (Elizabeth Daily). Armed with a fake ID, Charles joins the pair at a downtown nitery, and there, on the tiny stage, the object of his affections warbles into a hand mike, barely audible above the blare of a heavy- metal band. But the next morning, Cummings' exhilaration at finding Laura is tempered by the news that her band is breaking up, and the lady may wind up out of a job.Worlds above Cummings in sophistication, Laura nevertheless turns to her new friend for comfort when her career goes sour. One afternoon, she accedes to his request to pose for his camera, and we can feel their deepening friendship as the hours pass by and Cummings shoots roll after roll of film, happily taking pictures of this glowing Circe in front of some of San Francisco's most picturesque landmarks. Night falls, and the pair are tired, hungry, and broke. So they decide to crash a wedding reception and help themselves to food and drink. When they are caught by the father of the bride (Hamilton Camp) and threatened with arrest, Cummings makes a deal with the irascible paterfamilias: Let Laura sing for their supper. She does so... and, to everyone's surprise, including Laura's, her rendition of a classic ballad (the above- mentioned "I'm Glad There is You") is a big hit. Who knew this grunge diva could sing pop?This revelation inspires Cummings to take drastic action. Rounding up his life's savings, he pays to have Laura's likeness and telephone number posted on taxicabs all over the city. He's hoping the publicity will attract attention to Laura's talents, but at first it seems only to attract heavy-breathing weirdos. Exasperated, Laura pulls her phone out of the wall. But a newswire service picks up the story about the young fan and his generous gesture and prints it, and soon the phones are ringing off the wall at Laura's old place of business. The bar owner, Jake (George Wendt), pleads with Laura to return and sing at his establishment. She agrees, but she is still furious with Cummings.Laura's "debut", in front of a packed house that includes record company talent agents, is a success. She is offered a recording contract, and the possibility of stardom beckons. But now, in a neat reversal of the first half of the film, the hunted becomes the hunter, as she tries frantically to locate Cummings and thank him.What makes "No Small Affair" so winning is the delicious array of comedy performers director Schatzberg has united for his film. Jon Cryer, making his first film at age 19, has all the right moves, whether making sheep's eyes at his costar or doing a nifty moonwalk upon receiving a bit of good news. Demi Moore, in her first starring role, makes Laura tender/tough, a savvy woman who combines a strong sense of independence with a most touching vulnerability. (In one climactic scene, Laura wraps her arms around her young benefactor and says, "When I grow up, I want to be just like you.") It wouldn't be the last time Demi Moore enchanted a younger man.Among the supporting players, none resonates more delightfully than Judy Baldwin as Stephanie, the elegant call girl Cummings meets at his brother's bachelor party. Baldwin's bit is little more than a cameo, but her luminous and hilarious scene with Cryer will be remembered long after most of the other performances are forgotten.Dan Navarro (daneldorado93@yahoo.com)

This is a movie to insanely love.The story is about "the first love". This naive and dreamy moment in the life of almost everyone of us. However, while choosing not the happy end, the movie doesn't go to make it a massacre of a romance or a sad love story; it showcases an unsuccessful first love that maybe we wanted for ourselves.The treatment gave us the boyish sentimental talented photographer idiot, his victory as a nerdy nerd who kisses the ultimately sexy chick (in fact it's the other way around) right in front of his bully bulls, helping this one-sided love to success in her career, then winning her somehow eventually (at least as a friend), having the hottest innocent separation ever portrayed on screen WITH a smart reference to his next, maybe real, love affair. Can the hardy first love be more lovely ? It's the most successful unsuccessful love story you'll ever see !(Jon Cryer) is utterly believable and most of all funny. With good script he captured the essence of his character, making it a fresh lead more than another stereotype; that might hint about the movie's makers as maybe old geeks who showed themselves as distinct human beings more than a Hollywood easy laughingstock. This characterization had to be a big reason why the movie is respectable for every geek out there, assuring the solid romantic side in them with much verity and love. For opposite instance; in later movie, Napoleon Dynamite, the character is exploited horribly just for the sake of some cheap laughs! Back then (Demi Moore) was SEXY SEXY SEXY (I can go forever !). And the irony between herself and her co-star (age, charisma, way of talking,..) was one of a kind. Thank god that they didn't cast (Sally Field) as it was first intended, the sexual thing would have been totally missed, and the matter shrunken into a mother-son relationship. Enough to recall moments that have her : cursing the French teacher in English-French way, running in the street half naked with only a long coat (searching for that boy who put her on all the city's cabs), and undoubtedly the one when she wakes up to answer the telephone with only blue shirt AND bare legs; this moment is one of the most unforgettable moments in the history of cinema, and those legs represent a part of the best things I saw in my life !The Jazzy songs worked brilliantly. I have them on tape; they're priceless. The My Funny Valentine performance can't be more perfect. Truly aside from being as husky as Demi's, (Chrissy Faith)'s voice is wow. Add to that factors like the wedding's crises, (Jeffrey Tambor)'s delivering, line like (she took my pen!), the catchy cinematography,… I believe the good parts are simply the whole movie; it has a sweet spirit all over it. This is the favorite story of every adolescent with desperate one-side amour, a dream of a doomed first love, and it has inspiring core too; as if the dilemma of that first / from one-side love is just a fair preparation for the real love after, therefore it's wholly no small affair. You have to admire this theory; where being disappointed in love isn't disappointing at all, and the unfinished love already finishes with a next yet complete one. This is extremely optimistic. Rare to watch a movie of this sort nowadays. The 1980s were dreamy enough to comprise these delicate stories.So, with wonderful story, acting, singing, kisses, and legs…I find no bad thing to say. God, even Jennifer Tilly's performance was great !

I've seen this film about five times now and I never cease to be delighted by its charms.Where do I start? Firstly Jon Cryer is truly excellent as the precocious adolescent amateur photographer who spouts sophisticated adult dialogue but is really naive on the romantic front. The way he blushes at the right moment is very credible. He plays the blushing virgin with gusto - we don't doubt for a moment that he's never had sex or kissed a girl.Firstly I must admit here to being a major fan of Demi Moore's films in the 80's. I've seen all of them from that period and I adore the characters she plays - Moore is what I call 'value added'. Whatever role she plays she brings something special, whether it is a brilliant range in temperament, downcast eyes, the husky voice, the tearful eyes the shiny hair. Most Hollywood actresses can't manage this, but Demi manages to be the girl next door and screen siren all in one.Anyway she plays this aspiring niteclub singer with bad taste in 80's clothes and even worse taste in music. To her credit she doesn't sing any of the songs as they were recorded by other people, so she just lip syncs along quite nicely. That song 'Hotheaded' is actually quite catchy in that Michael Bolton, Bar 'rawk' sort of way. Overall her character, Laura Victor comes over as a really likable human being. And the final scene at the airport is truly touching. Moore's says two simple words 'thank you' and we know she means it.Another to reason to love this film is that it was filmed entirely on location in San Francisco, and studio interiors are very few and far in between. Most of the shots are on real locations which adds to the movie's overall charm. This combined with the corny dialogue: that scene where she barges into the High School language laboratory dressed in a coctail waitress (read hooker!) outfit in very high heels and pulls Cryer out of the language lab is really funny - especially when she says "F*** Off ez Vous" to the French teacher.Some of the scenes are chauvinistic, including the one with frat boys and the hired hooker - which really doesn't have any relevance to the overall plot. And I agree with a previous poster who says that Cryer's on screen mother is one of the most irritating characters to appear in movies. That line about the sausage of Cryer's brother going cold is truly risible. When I watch this film I try very hard to ignore the flaws!This is corny, cheesy and highly entertaining. It really captures the spirit of the 80's. I'll never stop watching it - I love it.Bonus: watch out for Jennifer Tilly and Tim Robbins in bit parts playing Cryer's classmates. Robbins was 28 when he played this role. Teenage high school student he ain't! But it's still good to see him in this. Also the very catchy song 'Eiffel Tower' by Malcolm McClaren and the McClarenettes.Moore wears some wacky clothes and has that 80's penchant for long evening gloves with hundreds of bangles, very Material Girl! I love that cabin on the boardwalk apartment she lives in while working at Jakes's as a singer. Very bohemian, very cool, very 1984!

"No Small Affair" was a movie made at the height of the Brat Pack popularity. John Cryer and Demi Moore, two of the most prominent members of the group are showcased in this whimsical comedy about obsession. Jerry Schatzberg directed the film, which has a San Francisco setting.The movie is in a way, the coming of age of Charles Cummings, a young amateur photographer who one day discovers a beautiful young woman while taking pictures at one of the piers. He will do anything in order to meet Laura, who at the beginning doesn't feel anything for him, but who is intrigued by his obsession, especially when he spends all his savings to have her face, and telephone number, plastered all over the tops of taxis. He was only trying to get Laura exposed to possible offers for a recording career, but the plan backfires and all she gets are sexual propositions.John Cryer as Charles Cummings is charming. Demi Moore does good work as Laura. George Wendt, Peter Frechette, Ann Wedgeworth, Jeffrey Tambor, Jeniffer Tilly and Tim Robbings are seen in supporting roles.The film is an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.