Rent One from the Heart (1981)

Love Bomb (spoiler) - One from the Heart review by Steve

This was a critical and box office disaster, and financially the worst possible start for Francis Coppola's Zoetrope Studio. But it has sustained a small cult following, and will probably continue to draw interest because of Tom Waits' heartbreak ballads, including the odd couple duets with Crystal Gayle.

It's an arthouse musical romance set in Las Vegas but shot on a soundstage with ostentatious virtuosity. The music and the look have attracted a few admirers. But I like the love story too, and the heartfelt performances, with Frederic Forrest and Teri Garr as a couple stuck in the same old routine...

As they close in on middle age, the thrill has gone, leaving chores and rows. What if they have another go around? As this is a musical fantasy, their affairs are like sweet dreams. She hooks up with an adventurous, attentive Latino played by Raúl Juliá. And he... well, with the adorable Nastassja Kinski!

And she gives the film a dose of heart as the sexy circus girl. This is a romance which mixes enchantment into the familiar and creates magic. When the two reconcile while Crystal Gayle sings, 'I love you, more than all these words can ever say' on the soundtrack... is it really only me, blinking away a tear?

* My preferred version is the original 1982 theatrical release.

One from the Heart, Two from the Headache - One from the Heart review by griggs

Francis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart is a dazzling yet flawed spectacle—a neon-drenched fever dream of romance that feels meticulously crafted yet strangely alienating. The production design is staggering, transforming Las Vegas into an artificial wonderland of colour and illusion. At the same time, Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle's melancholic soundtrack lends the film an evocative, aching beauty. Yet, beneath the visual and musical splendour, its emotions remain heightened but distant.  

What truly stings, though, is the nagging sense that Julian Temple saw this and thought, "If Coppola can make a neon-lit musical, so can I!"—with disastrous consequences for Absolute Beginners.

Glitzy 50s Throwback Musical - One from the Heart review by GI

One of Francis Ford Coppola's smaller, passion piece films also made after the trauma of Apocalypse Now (1979) and an attempt to recoup some money. This is his homage to the romantic musicals of the classic Hollywood period of the 50s and early 60s. To that end it's a strange film which for the first half or so is a relationship drama about Frannie (Teri Garr) and Hank (Frederic Forrest), a couple who have lived together for five years. On one fateful 4th July night they have a major row and begin to wonder whether their relationship is over. They individually head off into town for the celebrations and both of them hooks up with someone else. It's in this section that the film bursts into a full on fantasy musical complete with slightly clumsy dance numbers. The film was entirely filmed on Coppola's soundstage and boasts a soundtrack by Tom Waits but it's a self indulgent film with Coppola trying to recreate a film style and genre that by this time had little to attract a modern audience. Even despite a recent 4k UHD restoration it's still a bit of a trial although Teri Garr impresses in her performance as the girl with dreams.