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Hugo Pool

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Wikipedia article




'Hugo Pool' (also known as 'Pool Girl' in the UK) is a 1997 American romantic comedy film, directed by Robert Downey Sr., starring Alyssa Milano and Patrick Dempsey.

Plot



Hugo Dugay (Alyssa Milano) runs a small company, Hugo Pool, that cleans swimming pools in Los Angeles. The film covers one day in her life, during which she must clean many pools in the midst of a drought that interferes with her usual water supply. In addition to dealing with several eccentric customers, including mobster Chick Chicalini (Richard Lewis) and filmmaker Franz Mazur (Robert Downey Jr.), Hugo must care for her needy parents Minerva (Cathy Moriarty) and Henry (Malcolm McDowell). Also, Hugo may be falling in love with Floyd Gaylen (Patrick Dempsey), a customer of hers who has ALS.

Cast



*Alyssa Milano as Hugo Dugay

*Patrick Dempsey as Floyd Gaylen

*Cathy Moriarty as Minerva Dugay

*Robert Downey Jr. as Franz Mazur

*Richard Lewis as Chick Chicalini

*Malcolm McDowell as Henry Dugay

*Sean Penn as Man with blue shoes

Production



The film was written by Robert Downey Sr. and his wife Laura, who died of ALS.Levy, Emanuel. "Hugo Pool." Variety 366 Feb 10/16 (1997): 66.Weitzman, Elizabeth. 'The Village Voice'. New York: Dec 16, 1997. Vol. 42, Iss. 50. p. 78 During the shooting of the film, Robert Downey Jr. was in the midst of a serious drug addiction. He was described as "thin, pale and sickly" and would deliver his lines in bursts of manic energy.

Reception



In a review for 'The Village Voice', Elizabeth Weitzman criticized many of the performances, with the exceptions of Dempsey, for giving an understated performance, Downey Jr., "whose talents cannot be destroyed no matter what horrors he puts them through," and Milano, "whose natural performance appears to have been cut and pasted from another (better) movie," though she "can't turn around without the camera lewdly ogling her."Weitzman, Elizabeth. 'The Village Voice'. New York: Dec 16, 1997. Vol. 42, Iss. 50. p. 78 A 'Variety' review states, "the movie seldom achieves the quirky, zany rhythm it strives for"; 'Hugo Pool' is "a comedy that should have been messier and more outrageous." Like 'The Village Voice', 'Variety' praises the performances of Dempsey, Milano and Downey Jr. above other cast members. The review notes the film's visual accomplishments and production, stating, "Production values are first-rate, including Joe Montgomery's radiant lensing, Lauren Gabor's colorful production design, Danilo Perez's vibrant music and Joe D'Augustine's crisp editing.Levy, Emanuel. "Hugo Pool." 'Variety' 366 Feb 10/16 (1997): 66.

A January 1998 'SFGate' article included it on a list of the best films of 1997, which was based on the ratings of 40 major critics.

In a 2014 interview, Downey Sr. stated that 'Hugo Pool' is "one of my films that Im not so happy with."

References




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