Powerful

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Scenes from a Mall (1991)** (out of 4) Extremely disappointing comedy has Woody Allen and Bette Midler playing a couple who decide to celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary with a trip to the mall. Things are going pretty well until the husband admits that he just got done the previous day with a seven-month affair and this is where various secrets start to come out. SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE this ain't. There's no question that this movie doesn't work but the real mystery is why it doesn't. I've watched SCENES FROM A MALL a couple times not because it's entertaining but because it's just so strange to see such talent involved in a film that should have been so much better yet it never even reaches a mediocre level. Both Allen and Midler are very good actors who have no issues playing comedy yet they're really letdown by the screenplay, which is a complete mess. We start off with some good introductions to the characters and there are a few funny moments with the two trying to find time to have sex. The scenes at the busy mall start off well enough but there's still something missing from them. What's missing is any sort of laugh but I'm going to guess that writer-director Paul Mazursky just figured people would be "in" on the joke that malls are crowded. Other "in" jokes include three black guys rapping for no apparent reason and then we get a mime that is constantly showing up where the couple are fighting. Mimes are very annoying in my opinion but they can be put to good use at times. Just check out Mel Brooks' SILENT MOVIE for one example. The mime here adds nothing to the story and the attempt at humor falls flat on its face. Another problem with the screenplay is that it really doesn't go anywhere. The "secret" gets let out, they fight, they make up and then another secret follows and we go through the entire thing again before yet another secret comes out. Everything is so predictable that you can start watching the movie anywhere and still understand what you've missed and what's coming up. Allen and Midler are working in an overdrive because it's obvious they're trying hard to make the material work but there's simply nothing there. SCENES FROM A MALL should have been at least mildly entertaining but sadly it's a flop that's only entertainment value is seeing everything that went wrong with it.

I happened to rent Scenes From A Mall one time at a video store. The box made it look hilarious and I thought how could you beat a couple like Midler and Allen? But then I popped it into the VCR and was very disappointed. It dragged, it was incoherent, and an 87 minute movie made it seem like three hours. Midler and Allen go to a mall somewhere in L.A. for a wedding anniversary, while they are there Allen confesses to Midler that he has been having an affair with another woman. Midler then wants to file for a divorce but soon confesses to Allen that she has had an affair with another man. It is not a bad storyline but it just drags and leads to nowhere. The profanity level and sexual content is also unnecessary. I would say if you want to experience something like this go spend 87 minutes in a mall. But don't watch this because you will be very disappointed. It is a very unnecessary film.

This movie was great, and to an earlier comment, the movie wasn't filmed in California, it was filmed in Stamford Connecticut. DUH. The movie made my sides split. What is the matter with you people? Woodie Alan is so funny in this! I am in an acting class in Palm Beach Atlantic University, and going by what my teacher has said, they did an awesome acting job, and I thought that the movie as a whole was hilarious. Some people are so caught up in critiquing movies that they don't know how to enjoy movies anymore, just for the pure enjoyment. Maybe it's just my personal judgement but this movie rocked my socks and made me wanna pee in my pants. Too bad no one else could see this.

I'm a big Woody Allen fan, so naturally I got a sufficient amount of laughs from the film (though he didn't write the script). But the movie plays out like a stage play, and perhaps it would've worked better that way--like any movie that centers solely on 2 characters. Allen and Midler have a fine chemistry, and their banter is often amusing. But the infidelity thing seemed to have been thrown in as a simple way to develop some sort of plot and some sort of conflict. Are they gonna break up for good? Are they gonna decide to stay together? Those who've seen films like these won't have a tough time figuring the outcome. "Scenes from a Mall" is funny, harmless entertainment, but not exactly a must-see. My score: 7 (out of 10)