Only You (1994)

Directed by: Norman Jewison | 115 minutes | comedy, romance | Actors: Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei, Bonnie Hunt, Joaquim de Almeida, Fisher Stevens, Billy Zane, Adam LeFevre, John Benjamin Hickey, Siobhan Fallon, Antonia Rey, Phyllis Newman, Denise Du Marier, Tammy Minoff, Harry Barandes, Jessica Hertel

Robert Downey Jr. has made a glorious comeback to the big screen in recent years with roles such as Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. After his successful role in ‘Chaplin’ (1992), he turned to drugs and ended up regularly in prison. In 1994 he not only had a notable role in ‘Natural Born Killers’ but also made the little-known romantic comedy ‘Only You’. And there Downey shows that he can play a prince on the white horse.

‘Only You’ revolves around the ever-romantic Faith (Marisa Tomei) who spends hours watching old Hollywood movies for romance. Still, she’s engaged to boring dork Dwayne. When Faith receives a call from Damon Bradley, a colleague of her fiancé, Faith’s world is turned upside down. As a little girl, Faith had her future predicted by a fortune teller at a carnival. That fortune teller predicted that Damon Bradley will be her great love. Faith decides to fly straight to Venice with her sister-in-law Kate (Bonnie Hunt) to look for Damon Bradley. In Venice, after a long search, she stumbles upon Peter (Robert Downey Jr.), who is instantly in love with the beautiful Faith. He impersonates Damon Bradley. How does Peter maintain this lie?

Robert Downey Jr. is the star of the movie. He plays the charming Peter Wright with gusto and you immediately forgive him for lying to Faith in order to be with her. Downey’s dry humor that he shows in many films is especially appropriate in the romantic ‘Only You’. It makes the film a little less sweet. Downey and Tomei also have enough chemistry together to be credible as a romantic (and arguing) couple. Marisa Tomei, as the neurotic and hopeless romantic Faith (what’s in a name), can sometimes cross the irritation line. She is often just a bit too whiny and too selfish. Thankfully, Bonnie Hunt has been cast as Faith’s ideal counterpart. Hunt plays Kate, Faith’s sister-in-law, who unexpectedly accompanies her to Italy. Kate’s marriage is in a rut and she, too, longs for a little romance in her life. Hunt plays the down-to-earth Kate with a lot of humor and manages to be a nicer female character than lead actress Tomei.

In addition to all the characters, Italy also plays a leading role in the film. Rome, Venice and Lake Como have never looked so beautiful and romantic. Therefore, beware of tendencies to book a holiday to Italy immediately after seeing the film. The music in the film is, how could it be otherwise, largely in Italian. This only enhances the romantic atmosphere. Also note the many references to old classic films, such as the Audrey Hepburn classic ‘Roman Holiday’ which is also set in Italy.

Director Norman Jewison, who previously made the successful ‘Moonstruck’ with Cher, largely follows the same line in Only You. Beautiful but slightly complicated woman does everything she can not to fall for that one man who is actually perfect for her. Is it a standard romantic comedy storyline? Yes. Is that bad? No, because ‘Only You’ distinguishes itself by the romantic Italian setting and the fun, humorous characters. And that makes ‘Only You’ a sweet and fun film for a rainy Sunday.