Cheap Nuts (DVD) (Barbra Streisand, Richard Dreyfuss) (Martin Ritt) Price

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Customer Reviews of Nuts

Nuts for NUTS
Barbra Streisand's 1987 film, NUTS, deals with appearances - a theme she explores in other films as well. NUTS is Barbra's second time out playing a prostitute. Claudia Draper, Barbra's character in NUTS, is very different from the comedic prostitute she plays in OWL & THE PUSSYCAT. In NUTS, Claudia faces a trial. The movie's drama lies in the outcome. Is Claudia really insane? Is she competent to stand trial for manslaughter? Or will her abrasive personality and challenging questions convince those in authority that she needs to be sent away to a hospital instead? Director Martin Ritt reveals what really happened to Claudia and her "client" (played by Leslie Nielson) pretty early in the story -- leaving the audience rooting for Claudia for the rest of the film.

Barbra's performance as Claudia is very good. Barbra admits in the audio commentary that the role enabled her to vent some of her anger and play "the bad girl." She does so with relish, spouting four-letter words and sexually explicit dialogue. Barbra is very bold here. It's refreshing to see her go for it.

It's hard to get past some of the obvious parallels in the movie with Barbra's real life. The entire theme of the film certainly pertains to Barbra's experiences in Hollywood - don't ask questions; stay in your place; play the part of the actress and don't rock the boat. In the commentary, Barbra admits that she gets into trouble when she tells the truth. Usually, people don't want to hear it and punish the truth-teller. Also, the stepfather role that Karl Malden plays brings to mind Barbra's difficult relationship with her own stepfather -- although the nature of the relationship in the film is quite different than Barbra's real-life experiences. Related to that is the mother-daughter dynamic. The film explores what choices a mother makes when she is divorced and desires another man in her life. How does the child suffer? What is more important -- one's own needs, or one's daughter's? On the surface level, the art direction for Claudia's apartment greatly resembles the color scheme of Streisand's art deco home, mauves and roses.

The supporting actors in the film are mostly Actor's Studio veterans and film legends: Karl Malden, Maureen Stapleton, Eli Wallach. Richard Dreyfuss is good as Levinsky, Claudia's public defender. His character learns that the client should be heard, not "whipped by rules." Dreyfuss is particularly good (and very natural) when he finally stumbles onto a direct line of questioning during a cross-examination of Claudia's stepfather.

As for the DVD, NUTS transfers pretty well. Andrzej Bartkowiak's cinematography suffers in electronic translation. His moving pictures are soft, dark, and subtle. The DVD looks grainy when the picture gets too dark. I'm sure this is a film versus video problem, as Warner Brothers DVDs tend to have excellent transfers. On my widescreen digital TV, NUTS looks best in its brighter scenes.

The Streisand commentary is very interesting. She speaks during most of the film. She recounts production stories (boyfriend Richard Baskin suggested Barbra for the role to a Warner Brothers producer during a tennis game) and her interesting research into the role.

I saw NUTS in the theaters in 1987 and was moved by the film then. Sixteen years later, the film holds up. The only weak link for me is the film's notion of a prostitute. I was confused by the portrait they painted. Barbra seems sophisticated and refined on Claudia's "dates." I kept wondering what type of call girl she was. Is she in the back of the phone book? Did she build a loyal clientele through referrals? The emotional part of the story, however, succeeds every time I watch NUTS. You'll root for Claudia. You'll hear what she's saying. She won't be another picture in your head. She won't play "nuts" for you.

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No Underestimating That Streisand (i.e. N.U.T.S.)
... It's themes echo those in Streisand's own life: speaking out for what you believe; sexism; challenging the system; and child sexual and emotional abuse.

NUTS is a difficult movie in Streisand's career. She's trying really hard in this film to provide a dramatic performance. And Streisand does a great job! She has some wonderful moments in NUTS. I think some of the problems, however, lie in the script - or maybe in the U.S. court system! ...

The supporting cast is incredible - a who's who of old-school Method acting. Karl Malden plays against type in his role as Claudia's stepfather - his revelatory scene with Streisand brings chills. Maureen Stapleton and Eli Wallach turn in fine performances too, although Mr. Wallach is given the thankless task of playing "therapist bad guy."

My overall impression with NUTS is that it is "old-fashioned" in acting style and presentation. It is gloriously photographed and everyone speaks beautifully. If it were made by a different director and starred different actors, then NUTS would be a completely different show. For instance, imagine Debra Winger (orginally aligned with the project) as Claudia.

The point with Streisand is that her films and concerts are all performance art - variations on a theme: her life. Her fans (of which I am one) appreciate this. It's not so much that Streisand succeeds or fails at playing a prostitute. It's that, cognizant or not, she chose a role that dealt with the abuse from a step father and the mending of a relationship with a mother - two themes in Streisand's own personal life. And Streisand plays a character that's not very likable because she speaks her mind and annoys everyone around her - much like Streisand in her professional life as well.

I find the film fascinating on those levels.

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CAPTIVATING PERFORMANCES OVERSHADOW SOMEWHAT CLICHED PLOT
The movie is almost solely carried by Barbara Streisand's scorching performance as a high class hooker wrongly accused of first degree manslaughter. The courtroom scenes are fascinating, and if you love fast witty banter, this is a delight. The subject is weighty (a couple of rants toward the end are also a bit predictably feminist) but thought-provoking, and its rendition into the dramatic screenplay is very, very satisfying. Highly recommended for the discerning viewer.