Search - Hugo Pool on DVD

Everyone Calls This 'Quirky'

Scott FS | Sacramento, CA United States | 08/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"And I guess it is.



But really, this is more affecting than off-putting as some of the reviews below have suggested.



The title of the film refers to the lovely Alyssa Milano, who owns a pool-cleaning business. Robert Downey, Jr., Malcom McDowell, Richard Lewis, Cathy Moriarty, and Patrick Dempsey also star in the film.



I found the film fresh, refreshing, and a mild surprise. You'd expect a film where one of the principal characters is dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) to perhaps lapse into deep maudlin territory, but it doesn't. Instead, the thread of other stories, all revolving around an effort to fill mobster Lewis' pool in the middle of a drought, balance each other out to lend a sense of lightness and humor to the enterprise.



It's a fun film to watch. Unlike other reviewers, I wasn't put off by Penn's or Downey's performances. I thought they were fine. In a movie such as this, you don't expect slavish adherence to some 'truth' as you might demand from a factual work. The movie is more of a flight of fancy, and it's enjoyable as such.



Another thing to comment on is the wonderful cinemaphotography. The lush, vibrant colors go well with the over-all tone of the movie.



Recommended."

Delightfully Eccentric

S. Smith | 09/24/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Despite a lack of some conventional plot elements, the cast of this film is remarkably charming, quirky, and enjoyable. The characters are quite memorable, and the nudity referenced in another review is actually rather discreet. Quite possibly Malcom McDowell's most endearing performance to date. Patrick Dempsey is lovable as a Lou Gehrig's disease sufferer, and Alyssa Milano is charming as the gal-in-need-of-a-break, Hugo. Quite the sleeper. END"

Strange?..............Not!!!!!

William Mills | 11/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This video is quite good, even for us strange movie lovers. I love Alyssa Milano, and she does some of her best acting as Hugo. The strangest part of the film, is the part with Sean Penn, which to this date, I still have no idea why he was even in it. Why in the world would someone be drawing water, for a pool, from a lake?? The ending was not what I expected, but do give this movie a try. It'll be worth it!!"

Addictive

Amanda | United Kingdom | 02/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Hugo Pool" is a comedy/drama with a addictive quality. On first viewing it seems uneven and uninteresting, but a balanced and talented cast help you climb inside the characters heads. The film follows a day in the life of pool cleaner Hugo. She has 40 clients -including a mob boss who doesn't want disapointing - and one pair of hands. So she asks her gambling mother and father to help her through the day. All in all "Hugo Pool" is a cleverly written and enjoyable film."