Critics
hold some kind of unrelieved malice towards Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. It
seems like they have an inverse-reaction to every film the pair makes, as if
they feel obligated to hastily dismiss the sisters’ films, in order to
maintain their non-existent “cool”-quotients. While the motives I speak of
are unconfirmed, of course, and will never be, the reviews of New York
Minute prove that the press hasn’t become any less hostile towards the
Olsens since their last effort, It Takes Two. I, myself, have been a
faithful follower of Mary-Kate and Ashley for a long time, growing up
watching their straight-to-video releases, in which they played
child-detectives. And while I certainly am not prepared to defend New
York Minute’s failures in the areas of dialogue and plot, I must,
however, mention how wonderfully stylistic and charming it really is. It may
not be a great movie, but I was entertained when watching it, feeling that
the six-dollar admission price was well-spent. This, in itself, is just
about all that matters.
Mary-Kate and Ashley play two twins (big
surprise!), named Jane and Roxy Ryan. The two characters are a classic
pairing; both high seniors, one has aspirations to go to Oxford University,
and the other to play in a band professionally. The movie takes place over
one day’s time, with a simple structure, basically acting as a giant string
of clichés to move the plot along. Jane will be giving a speech that could
win her that scholarship to Oxford she so desperately wants, and Roxy will
be forging a sick-note that will allow her to cut class, and attend a taping
of a Simple Plan music video. At the taping, she will be able to hand her
band’s demo tapes to some high-roller record executives, in efforts to land
them a sweet deal. Both events take place in New York, but trouble is
abundant in the city, as the two face gigantic problems along the way. These
involve a big overseas-piracy deal, being kicked off their train-ride,
having to borrow a state senator’s prized dog, and the potential of being
captured by truancy officer Max Lomax (Eugene Levy).
Practically every line of the movie feels like it
has been (1) stolen from another picture, (2) written by a kindergartener,
or (3) completely and entirely random. This all seems irrelevant when
watching the Olsens, as well as Eugene Levy, though. They take the
spotlight, and dazzle the audience with a thriving, almost poetic way of
performing. Their presences are simply enough to elevate the mood of the
average material, making New York Minute seem like a worthy and
inventive effort. It is not as funny as any of the Olsens’ or Levy’s
previous movies, but their charismas are just as wonderful this time as any
other. I was genuinely amazed that they had me laughing as hard as I was at
such dull and blasé material. At those moments, the film actually felt like
some kind of surreal and refreshing experience, contrary my bottomless
expectations (despite my positive feelings for the leading duo).
Dennie Gordon (What A Girl Wants, Joe
Dirt), who directed the film, does wonders at reincarnating the dead
script, along with the cast. The mastermind behind some crappy TV-series and
some even crappier flicks, the growth and development she exhibits in New
York Minute should be rather startling to the limited amount of people
familiar with her work. Maybe her uplifting, energetic style here signals a
real career for her brewing. Then again, one funny movie versus
fifteen brain-dead sitcoms doesn’t foreshadow any sort of miraculous rising
in the near future.
The sole factor that weighs the heaviest when I
develop my opinion on a film is its entertainment value. Say what you
want—no matter how much I take symbolism and intelligence into account—my
being able to sit down and enjoy a movie is always the highest of my
priorities when critiquing it. I was enthralled by New York Minute,
pleasantly grinning at practically everything it threw at me. Gordon is onto
something in her execution, and even if it isn’t fully present, it
definitely captures the senses. Only sixteen percent of critics recommend
the picture to moviegoers. Since the majority obviously doesn’t consider it
to be a worthy rental, I am puzzled as to what they do. Simple,
lighthearted, and fun, New York Minute is a joy to behold, in my
book.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews (5.7.2004)
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