One From The Heart - Reprise (1982) ****

A critical and commercial failure, Francis Ford Coppola's One From The Heart (1981) has enjoyed a bit of a reevaluation and is now considered, by some, to be one of his best films. A first time viewing for me, I decided to watch the Reprise version, which is shorter than the theatrical cut. I'm not quite sure why the film has a reputation for being bad because I loved it. It's technically innovative, visually breathtaking, earnest, sexy, and impressively choreographed (plus it has some of the coolest opening titles ever).

Telling the story of a Las Vegas couple (Teri Garr, Frederic Forrest) on the rocks, both seeking thrills in the form of possible new partners (Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski), OFTH features some of the most gorgeous imagery ever set to celluloid (courtesy of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and production designer Dean Tavoularis). An ambitious revisionist musical (with songs by the singular Tom Waits), OFTH is domestic drama as heightened reality via the backdrop of wonderfully realized, intentionally artificial sets (all contained within Zoetrope Studios, which was bankrupt by the picture). It has all the hallmarks of a great musical (or movie in general)—romance, tragedy, melancholy, excitement, jubilation.

Francis Ford Coppola Feature Films Ranked