The Rachel Papers

A-ha, a guide to the do's and don'ts of dating on the big screen.

I've always liked Martin Amis' works, and 1974's The Rachel Papers was his first novel, and still one of his best. Despite the fact that this 1989 film adaptation has now become something of a cult classic in the UK, however, I doubt Amis would have approved of it had it been laid before him prior to it's release.

There's a host of famous faces in this film, including Dexter Fletcher, Bill Patterson (albeit briefly), James Spader, Michael Gambon (in cameo) and Jonathan Pryce. Why they chose ex-Gamesmaster host from the post-Dominik Diamond days Dexter Fletcher (also known for his roles in Press Gang, Bugsy Malone and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) as the cocky, arrogant, obnoxious, precocious, phenomenally intelligent and highly sexed-up Charles Highway I'll never know, as he is simply too self-conscious for the part. Ione Skye, equally, made a none-too-good job out of what was, in fairness, the very difficult task of playing the seductive Rachel Noyce. That said, few male viewers would object to the chance of seeing the attractive Skye naked in any film, while Fletcher's charm, wit, and posturing do show sporadically, but not often enough. Dexter Fletcher (or Dexter Dipsh*t as 'Godspeed You Black Emperor' rather unkindly calls him) has had a lot of bad press over the years, but he is actually a far better actor than many people give him credit for, but he simply wasn't suited for the lovable rogue he aspired to be in 'The Rachel Papers' - Matthew Broderick or Gordon John-Sinclair would have been a better choice for the part.

The acting is not totally without merit; Jonathan Pryce is absolutely hilarious in his portrayal of Charles' lunatic brother-in-law Norman and revels in the role, while (the then-unknown) Jared Harris is excellent as Charles' best mate - and mentor/big brother figure - Geoff, but the rest of the cast simply look uninspired. Bill Patterson, Michael Gambon and James Spader are, unquestionably, all very talented actors (although Patterson and - in particular - Spader were both very poor in this film) - why weren't they utilised more?

The film does boast some very typically 80s music and visuals (a la "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "WarGames", "Back To The Future", "The Breakfast Club", "Gregory's Girl" etc.), which are a godsend for anyone who likes their retro 80s backdrops. Despite what 'Godspeed You Black Emperor' says, the fact that a film displays seemingly incessant 80s music and backdrops is not necessarily a bad thing in itself; after all, the film came out in 1989 and was aimed aimed at a contemporary teen audience, so just what was he expecting - that it would be set in the 1800s or something?!

The opening titles give more than a nod towards those featured in the first "Back To The Future" film, but there is some cool incidental music, plus the soundtrack boasts Willy DeVille's lovely tear-jerker "Assassin Of Love", the seductive "Electric Moon" and the sassy "You Made Me", both by Shakespeare's Sister, and Jools Holland's catchy "We're Through", which plays as the closing credits roll.

All in all, however, this film fails to recapture the spirit of Martin Amis' original novel. In summary - quite good in parts, and a noble effort to bring Martin Amis' finest work to the big screen, but falls too much into mediocrity overall.

It's nowhere near as catastrophic as 'Godspeed You Black Emperor's very harsh review makes it out to be (bearing in mind that he described it as an "embarassing train-wreck of a movie" despite then going on to admit to not having watched the whole film, which to my mind makes his comments count for very little), but there's no way it will ever be held in the same high regard as any of the other classic 80s films I've name-checked in this review.

As an aside - Notably, Dexter Fletcher took an enormous amount of criticism for trying to copy Matthew Broderick's style of monologuing to the camera in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". However, in his defence, the original novel was told from the point of view of a narrator describing physical as well as emotional experiences in a format not unlike a diary, therefore it is difficult to think of any other way that he could possibly have played Charles Highway. In this respect, the Bueller-isms could have been (and quite possibly were) accidental and unintentional. Aside from the monologuing and the fact that both films have a scene set in a gallery, "The Rachel Papers" is otherwise not even remotely similar to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", although Fletcher's skill on a computer does evoke memories of a another Matthew Broderick film ("WarGames").

Charles Highway (Dexter Fletcher) sees himself as a player and keeps girls' info in his computer. He has worked out strategies to get girls. He lives with his sister Jenny and her oddball husband Norman (Jonathan Pryce). He is completely taken by mysterious American Rachel Noyce (Ione Skye). She doesn't seem interested but he's persistent. He thinks he has a date with her but then her boyfriend Deforest (James Spader) shows up. Norman convinces him to continue persistence.

This is a pretty simple romance. Dexter Fletcher plays a Ferris Bueller wannabe and he fits the role very well. I can see how girls would find him charming but he's not suave. Ione Skye is a great smart sexy girlfriend material as shown in "Say Anything..." which came out around the same time. She seems really deep and mature for her age. The two of them make this a nice sexy romance and I love the bittersweet ending.

My first taste of 80s movies came with the Breakfast Club and most recently I saw Donnie Darko, okay not an 80s film but a film with a plot set in 1988. The love btw the characters in Donnie Darko is nothing compared to the Rachel Papers, in fact the Rachel Papers offers a deeper sense of love, literally. Now Darko fans please don't kill me I am not comparing the films, but the love between the characters.

I was led to this film after wandering the aisles at my local video store. After seeing the video cover, which featured the pair smiley on a vespa I decided to read the back of this video. The plot seemed fun and interesting, movies with nerds trying to win the girl always please me as its comical to watch them achieve their goal. I bought the video and enjoyed it, the film had it all. Laughter, shock in the initial watching, suspense if Charles would ever get the girl, and of course a sexy main lead by way of a young Dexter Fletcher. The film is excellent and it surprises me that the movie never caught on back then. A movie like that in 1989, released now in the world we live in 2004 would probably be a hit among teenagers now with the internet and everyone trying to get it on. Ah the Rachel Papers make me reminisce of love back in my early College years, it will probably make you reminisce of lost love. This film is not one to miss.

I confess: I only watched this movie because a friend of mine told Ione Skye took her clothes off in it. Well, I may not have watched it with the best intentions, but I ended up liking the movie for a lot more than Ione's breasts.

I had a similar relationship at about that time (nerd wins over babe, finds out she's rather annoying) so I could identify with this film.

One scene really got to me (in a good way). Rachel has just climbed into a taxi, but the window is down. Charles finally works up the nerve to try to kiss her through the window. Just as his lips are about to meet hers, the cab pulls away. The look on his face is pitiful but then you see her beautiful smile. A magical scene if ever there was one!

Oh yeah, Ione Skye DOES take her clothes off repeatedly in this movie, so guys who don't go for this sort of thing might give it a chance and be pleasantly surprised. I was.

Despite being a little predictable at times, this solid little movie succeeds rather well. Both Fletcher and Skye give wonderful performances as the leads, and Pryce is fun every time he is on the screen. It has a good mix of comedy and drama, and at no point did any of the emotional turns seem out of place. I had been wanting to see this film for some ten years before finally seeing it tonight, and I am very pleased that I took the time to watch it.