Green Card

Green Card is a film that works thanks to smart casting. Honestly, without the central acting duo of Gérard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell, it would just be a run-of-the-mill romance that film studios churn out in large quantities. Combining Gérard Depardieu's robust emotional acting with his square, seemingly awkward character, and Andie MacDowell's delicate and intellectually inclined performance was cleverly done and turned out perfectly. As a comedy, Green Card never really worked for me, as it lacks the witty and timeless dialogue of someone like Francis Veber or functional gags. Most of the successful scenes, which attempt to play for humorous effect (except a few charming moments like "Can I go to the bathroom?" - "Why?"), take advantage of the contrasting differences between the two actors. The romantic storyline with several emotional peaks and an open ending, however, works very well. Director Weir leads his flock and the entire film crew reliably, but the premise offered greater possibilities and the screenplay could have been further polished to create a truly great film. Andie MacDowell is a whole other subject. She is a relatively average actress who, like many others, got into the film industry through modeling, and an incredibly likable and pleasant person who, with good direction, was able to significantly elevate the film during the 90s when she was at the height of her physical attractiveness. Overall impression: 65%. (02/08/2010)

I fully understand why Gérard Depardieu got all the way to Hollywood with his acting. In the 1990s, it was a pleasure to watch him play his roles. He was such a right, kind-hearted, giant, albeit a bit choleric, Frenchman who was very hard to dislike. Green Card was his ticket to America, and he delivered his performance with a grace that simply cannot be denied. In fact, this movie beautifully reminded me of why I actually like him so much. A nice, pleasant, human film with European nonchalance in the American world. (09/06/2017)

A very nice romantic comedy, and I’m saying it as someone who doesn’t like the genre very much, in fact, I avoid it (I’m going through Peter Weir’s entire filmography, otherwise I’d never watch Green Card). It’s not a comedy that will make you burst out in laughter, but it does leave you smiling for a long time. 8/10 (08/22/2010)

Peter Weir is not exactly the type of director who relies on a dynamic plot, scene progression, or heavy emotions, so Green Card is solid but not particularly entertaining as a comedy. The introduction is confusing and the introduction to the main characters is relatively clumsy. This is followed by a somewhat disjointed pursuit of the desired goal (the green card), and finally, some clichés, but the way we reach them is more than solid, without overly familiar pseudo-romantic scenes, with little pathos, and with fresh and relatively cleverly acted and written scenes throughout. Nothing extraordinary, but as an afternoon snack, it is satisfying. (08/20/2007)

I didn't find it much of a comedy, since there really wasn't a moment where I laughed or where I found something really funny. Still, it wasn't a movie I was necessarily bored with. I let Depardieu and MacDowell take me through the process of getting my Green Card. And I give it an extra star for how it turned out, otherwise I would have "only" given a better three :-) because it had a really intelligent script. (02/08/2010)