Cocktail 1988 by AverageMansReviews

Cocktail 1988 by AverageMansReviews

Review Time

Warning: there is flashing effects/colourful effects/suicide

What we have here is a cautionary tale: this manager/bartender of this bar. Doug Coughlin [Bryan Brown] meets for the first time Brian Finnegan [Tom Cruise] where he is looking for a job as he is recently came out of the Army and he has had no luck with finding a job. Coughlin begins to teach Finnegan the ways of Coughlin as it relates to the life of a bartender, but these two characters have a complicated relationship.

The pacing of this 104 minutes film is mobile and it has some vague structure to proceedings; generally speaking it drifts from one thing to another and then another, one example I can give you without giving too much way; one minute we are in New York, USA and the next three years later Jamaica, I should point out we don't get told this by words on-screen, Finnegan goes from night time in New York to in the next scene Jamaica and I only know it's three years later is because it gets mentioned in a dialogue exchange between Coughlin and Finnegan.

Art; there is some good-looking scenery in Jamaica and Jordan Mooney [Elizabeth Shue] art and as it relates to the action there is a little bit here and there is a bit there such as for an example Finnegan and Mooney play fighting.

The character developments and the performances; the character developments are safe and reliable versions of what they are meant to be such as the coming-of-age the cautionary tale of; Finnegan has a choice between living in this fantasy world which Coughlin projects this illusion by any means necessary with potentially one outcome or Finnegan can live in the real world which he can project this image of a showman a little mixed dealing with reality/real life and everything that comes with that, yes I am aware that Finnegan has this discussion with Mooney which highlights the dangers of this fantasy world lifestyle anyway, but my point is you can have some of this fantasy world and live in the real world as well. Now even though the pacing and structure to this title is mobile and drifty and after taking that into consideration; I would say these performances are good; what with they have to work with or against or whatever this was meant to be I will discuss a little later on what I liked about this film is outlook and feel which I did like.

This film receives: 4/10, this film is mixed; all I can say really is; if you haven't seen this film either for the first time or a long time [I have only seen this film a grand total of twice including this occasion] or especially if you want around in the 1980s. Because the only thing I liked was the fact that this film looks and feels like a 1980s film and of course if you are a fan of Tom Cruise and you haven't seen much of his early work, give this film ago but go in with low expectations.

Yes this film also has some awards accredited to its name and yes they are not all positive awards for an example or examples 5 Winners ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards 1989; ASCAP Award Top Box Office Films J. Peter Robinson. 6 Nominees including Golden Globes, USA Golden Globe Best Original Song - Motion Picture Scott McKenzie Mike Love Terry Melcher John Phillips Song: "Kokomo" and Razzie Awards 1989 Razzie Award Winner for an example Worst Picture Ted Field Robert W. Cort and Nominee Worst Actor Tom Cruise.