Retro Recall: Tootsie
Cast back to a time where perms where big and cell phones were bigger as the first trip on our cinema screen time machine is 1982 and Sydney Pollack’s Tootsie.
The Plot: Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a great actor. Maybe one of the best. The only thing that lets him down is his attitude. Nobody wants to work with him and I mean nobody. So Michael does what any self respecting Actor would do. He dresses like a woman to gain work and becomes Dorothy Michaels. Michael shows of his acting spots as Dorothy who rapidly becomes a successful character on a day time drama (don’t call it a soap opera or you’ll owe the producer a quarter). However, things get confusing for Michael when he starts to develop real feelings for his female co-star.
The Film: Sydney Pollack’s 80s cross-dressing comedy is a well crafted story. Its witty script tingles with witty dialogue. But the movie isn’t just a comedy. Like most good comedies Sydney Pollack plays with a wider issue: sexism. Tootsie battles this issue with as much gusto as Dorothy battles her male colleagues. It highlights the problems of the time without getting bogged down with preachy messages.
My only issue with Tootsie is the thought process of Michael before he decides to don the dress and become Dorothy. I get he is desperate, but what I don’t see is the idea of becoming a woman to get a part in show business manifest in his head. I don’t see the reason why he would become a woman and he doesn’t seem to debate the moral or ethical reprocussions for a second.
The only other problem is the character of Sandy. Despite a good performance by Teri Garr, I just can’t quite believe there is a woman that downtrodden and vulnerable that exists and isn’t in medical care.
The Performances: The performances range from good to pretty great. Dustin Hoffman carries the Movie on his ever so reliable and Masculine/Feminine shoulders. He is brilliant mix of sleazy and desperate as Michael and he is ever so feisty and loveable as Dorothy. His performance as Michael Dorsey/ Dorothy Michael’s is so good that it’s such a shame that he was up against Sir Ben Kingsley as Ghandi as he would have been a shoe in for the Academy Award.
More or less everybody else is pretty good, with Jessica Lange being completely believable as the love interest. Bill Murray is his usual delightfully dry self and George Gaynes is superb as the senile sexpest John Van Horn
The Verdict: Perfect it is not but a damn smart comedy it is. Writers and directors should take note as Pollock’s Tootsie would teach people a lesson or two on how to make a movie just as thoughtful as it is funny. I give Tootsie a solid 7.5/10
Well that's my first issue of Review Recall. I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to comment in the comments section. All Feedback is good Feedback.
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Daniel Morris
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