Romantic Comedy (1983) * * 1/2

Directed by:  Arthur Hiller

Starring:  Dudley Moore, Mary Steenburgen, Ron Leibman, Frances Sternhagen, Robyn Douglass, Janet Eliber

Romantic Comedy plays like Neil Simon light.    Based on a play by Bernard Slade (Same Time, Next Year), the movie follows the age-old traditions of a movie romantic comedy while its two leads fail to realize they are in one.     Its leads are enormously appealing and because of that, we stick with the formula a lot longer than we would normally.    But as time goes on, we wish they would get to the inevitable conclusion already after the movie spent 90 minutes (or 9 years in the movie's timeline) keeping it from happening.     Then, when they finally get together, the payoff is a letdown.     Perhaps they were better apart.

The movie opens circa 1974 in the chaotic home of playwright Jason Carmichael (Dudley Moore) who meets his new writing partner Phoebe Radick (Steenburgen) on his wedding day.    He thinks she is his substitute masseuse.    Jason's agent (Sternhagen) refers to her as P.J. Radick, which leads to the cliché of everyone assuming P.J. is a man.   Phoebe is never referred to as P.J. for the rest of the movie.   I would think an agent would have that researched, but it's early in the movie and we move on.

There is definite sexual tension between Jason and Phoebe, even though Jason seems happily married to Alison (Eliber), who has designs on a political career.    Their first play together is a flop, but then the duo puts together a string of hits.    They work long hours together and it is obvious to everyone except Jason that Phoebe is in love with him.     Jason's marriage soon falls apart after an affair with one of his temperamental leading ladies.     Phoebe, in a fit of jealousy masquerading as ethical outrage, hastily marries her own suitor, a smart journalist named Leo (Leibman), who exists only to be dumped near the end.     He seems like a sturdier mate for Phoebe, he loves her, and does absolutely nothing wrong.    But since he is not the lead, he eventually must be dispensed with and exit the scene.     This happens in not very convincing fashion.    He makes the road for Phoebe and Jason entirely too simple.    Wouldn't it have been interesting to have Jason and Leo actually be friends instead of acting suspiciously of one another?     This would add another layer to the material.  

After 10 and Arthur, Moore already proved his mastery of comedic romances.     We like him even when he behaves like a fool.     Steenburgen and Moore have a natural, easy chemistry.     It carries the movie a lot longer than expected.     Romantic comedies are made with built-in clichés and points to check off.     The leads are kept apart through circumstances or sheer unwillingness to admit their feelings.     But Romantic Comedy milks this premise for all it is worth and then some; to the point where our patience wears thin.     Then, they finally sleep together (sort of) and the movie never recovers.     The two break up just as quickly as they get together and then there is the eureka moment when Jason realizes he loves the girl after all.  

I enjoy romantic comedies when they are done with freshness and energy.    Romantic Comedy maintains both for a while.     I think Jason and Phoebe are entirely too intelligent to so easily dismiss their feelings for each other.     The movie for a while is so quickly paced and written with such Neil Simon-ish dialogue that we could be forgiven for assuming he wrote it.     The actors are more than game, but the tenuous nature of the story finally gives way.