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Movies / On DVD / Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan

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Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

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88 %
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Reviews Counted:24

Fresh:21

Rotten:3

Average Rating:6.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Rosanna Arquette is Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey yuppie housewife who finds escapism from her mundane life in the New York personal ad exploits of a flighty bohemian named Susan (Madonna).... Rosanna Arquette is Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey yuppie housewife who finds escapism from her mundane life in the New York personal ad exploits of a flighty bohemian named Susan (Madonna). When Roberta travels to the city to witness an ad-inspired meeting between Susan and her lover Jimmy, she bumps her head, loses her memory, and for all intents and purposes, becomes Susan, thanks to a case of mistaken identity. As a result, she is pursued by crooks and other shady characters through the funky East Village of the early '80's. Quinn is the confused film protectionist who stumbles into the role of Roberta/Susan's protector. Madonna, not quite a superstar when this was filmed, uses this small role to show the sort of charisma she would soon shower upon the world in larger doses. Steven Wright, Giancarlo Esposito, Richard Hell, Ann Magnuson, John Lurie, and Arto Lindsay also turn up in small roles in this screwball '80's love letter to the downtown scene. [More]

Starring: Madonna, Rosanna Arquette, Mark Blum, Laurie Metcalf

Starring: Madonna, Rosanna Arquette, Mark Blum, Laurie Metcalf, Aidan Quinn, John Turturro, Robert Joy, Timothy Carhart, Will Patton

Director: Susan Seidelman

Director: Susan Seidelman
Screenwriter: Leora Barish

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Desperately Seeking Susan

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/23/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even if the plotting (a mistaken identity farce involving that old chestnut, amnesia brought on by a bump to the head) is square as a square peg. Madonna has never found a better fit than the role of Susan.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A fine slice of '80s nostalgia -- even for people who weren't there first time around.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Director Susan Seidelman guides her cast with a light, enthusiastic touch, never making more out of her frothy material than need be.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
05/23/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

All of this is cause for consistent smiling and a few outright laughs, without ever building to complete comedy.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
05/23/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film acquires a pleasant, syncopated rhythm as it bounces from one unlikely event to another.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
05/23/08
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

No review available.

comment Comment
07/29/07
Neil Cohen
Neil Cohen
Echo Magazine

Featuring the first (and only decent) screen performance by Madona, this charming comedy imposes the old fracical gimmick of amnesia on a hip and stylish East Village milieu.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
06/20/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/07/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/24/05
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Offbeat Susan Seidelman comedy features funny Madonna and Arquette.

comment Comment
06/08/05
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

It has its moments, and many of them involve the different kinds of special appeal that Arquette and Madonna are able to generate.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This has to be the most overrated movie of 1985.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/26/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
08/04/03
Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell
Movie Views

No review available.

comment Comment
07/31/03
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Surprisingly boring and annoying '80s movie. Mistaken identity, blah. Nothing really funny happens.

comment Comment
07/14/03
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
About.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
01/30/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

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