This film may have some mixed reviews, but I feel that it is a very enjoyable "sleeper" film. The premise of the film is that Gary Starke (Andy Garcia) is a ticket scalper in New York City in a relationship with Linda Palinski (Andie MacDowell). I'm going to purposefully not say much more about the plot, rather just a
few observations. If you feel compelled even remotely, you should definitely see the film yourself. The film seems to have developed a fairly enthusiastic following. On some level it's a somewhat nostalgic, feel good movie using its New York City setting to good effect and a film which seems to be conscious of other films set in New York City. Other people have noted this but when you see Andy Garcia's character Gary Starke, Al Pacino may cross your mind. The film brought to mind Game 6, another film involving New York City and baseball, though that film came out in 2005, much after the release date of 1999 for Wenk's film. I consider Just the Ticket to be pretty unique, especially as far as romantic comedies go. That said, it does sort of tap into a certain vibe in movies involving big cities like New York, baseball, and tried and true themes like romance and church, while maintaining a likable charm amidst the ups and downs of the plot arc. I'm normally not a big fan of romantic comedy type films at all, but I recommend that people see this movie. It's good and you'll probably be glad you did. Check out the user comments also on IMDb to get a sense of the praise this film has received from viewers.
June 21, 2007
