When Will I Be Loved (film)

Last updated
When Will I Be Loved
When Will I Be Loved (film poster).jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by James Toback
Written byJames Toback
Produced byRon Rotholz
Starring Neve Campbell
Fred Weller
Dominic Chianese
Edited bySuzy Elmiger
Music by Oli "Power" Grant
Distributed by IFC Films
MGM Home Entertainment
Release dates
  • June 6, 2004 (2004-06-06)(Lake Placid Film Festival)
  • September 10, 2004 (2004-09-10)(US)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office159,429 $ [1]

When Will I Be Loved is a 2004 American erotic drama film written and directed by James Toback and starring Neve Campbell. [2] The film had a 35-page script and was mostly improvised [3] throughout its 12-day shoot. [4]

Contents

Plot

Vera (Neve Campbell) is a femme fatale for the 21st century: a beautiful, capricious young woman living in New York who begins exploring the limits of her sexual and intellectual power. She picks up men on the street and has sex with them in her apartment. She also videotapes a sexual romp with a female lover and has sexually frank discussions with her potential employer. As the daughter of wealthy, indulgent parents, Vera seems to be improvising her way through the beginning of her life as an adult.

Her boyfriend, Ford (Frederick Weller), is a fast-talking hustler prepared to do anything to make a buck. Aware of Vera's promiscuity, Ford sees a chance to make big money when he meets an ageing Italian media mogul, named Count Tommaso (Dominic Chianese), who is in love with Vera because of her sexuality, her intelligence, and what he perceives as her naiveté. Ford cooks up an idea to pimp Vera out to the Count for $100,000, easy money, if he can only talk Vera into it. Incredibly, she agrees. Everything appears to be going even better than planned.

But both men have gravely underestimated Vera, who has an agenda of her own. Ford and the Count unwittingly play right into her hands, and when her plan of deception and manipulation comes to fruition, the results are staggering.

Cast

Critical reception

When Will I Be Loved received generally negative reviews. The films holds a score of 32%, based on 73 reviews, on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Its consensus says "Neve Campbell bares all in this seemingly misogynistic trifle." [5] Metacritic gave the film a 39/100 indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [6]

Despite being reviled by most critics, Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, writing "When Will I Be Loved is like a jazz solo that touches familiar themes on its way to a triumphant and unexpected conclusion." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neve Campbell</span> Canadian actress (born 1973)

Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. She is known for her performances in the horror and slasher genres, which have earned her recognition as a scream queen and in popular culture, and for playing roles in several comedy and drama projects. She is among the highest-grossing actresses and acclaimed heroines in horror, and has won two Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Best Actress, a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress, an MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance, and a Saturn Award for Best Actress, among other accolades.

<i>Bugsy</i> 1991 biographical film by Barry Levinson

Bugsy is a 1991 American biographical crime drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by James Toback. The film stars Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Bebe Neuwirth, and Joe Mantegna. It is based on the life of American mobster Bugsy Siegel and his affair with starlet Virginia Hill.

<i>The Company</i> (film) 2003 film by Robert Altman

The Company is a 2003 American drama film directed by Robert Altman with a screenplay by Barbara Turner from a story by Turner and star and co-producer Neve Campbell. The film also stars Malcolm McDowell and James Franco, and is set in the company of the Joffrey Ballet.

<i>New York Minute</i> (film) 2004 film by Dennie Gordon

New York Minute is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Dennie Gordon and starring Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Eugene Levy, with Andy Richter, Jared Padalecki, Riley Smith, and Andrea Martin in supporting roles. In the film, Mary-Kate and Ashley portray twins with opposing personalities who have a series of adventures around New York City. The film reunited the Olsens with Bob Saget for the first time since they all starred together on the television series Full House (1987–1995).

<i>Catwoman</i> (film) 2004 superhero film directed by Pitof

Catwoman is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Pitof and written by John Rogers, John Brancato and Michael Ferris from a story by Theresa Rebeck, Brancato and Ferris, with music by Klaus Badelt. It is loosely based on the DC Comics character Catwoman. The film stars Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, Alex Borstein, and Sharon Stone. Its plot centers on Patience Phillips, a meek graphic designer, who discovers a conspiracy within the cosmetics company she works for that involves a dangerous product that could cause widespread health problems. After being discovered and murdered by the conspirators, Patience is revived by an Egyptian mau cat that grants her superhuman cat-like abilities, allowing her to become the crime-fighting superheroine Catwoman.

<i>Kinsey</i> (film) 2004 American film

Kinsey is a 2004 American biographical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Charles Kinsey, a pioneer in the area of sexology. His 1948 publication, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was one of the first recorded works that tried to scientifically address and investigate sexual behavior in humans. The film also stars Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton, John Lithgow, Tim Curry, and Oliver Platt.

<i>Vera Drake</i> 2004 British film

Vera Drake is a 2004 British period drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and starring Imelda Staunton, Phil Davis, Daniel Mays and Eddie Marsan. It tells the story of a working-class woman in London in 1950 who performs illegal abortions. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and it was nominated for three Academy Awards and won three BAFTAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Toback</span> American screenwriter and film director

James Lee Toback is an American screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for Bugsy. He has directed films including The Pick-up Artist, Two Girls and a Guy and Black and White.

<i>Ruby in Paradise</i> 1993 film

Ruby in Paradise is a 1993 film written and directed by Victor Nunez, starring Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Bentley Mitchum, Allison Dean, and Dorothy Lyman. An homage to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, the film is a character study about a young woman who escapes her small town in Tennessee for a new life in coastal Florida. The film marks Judd’s first starring role.

<i>Junebug</i> (film) 2005 American film

Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. Amy Adams received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in the film.

<i>Dirty Love</i> (film) 2005 film by John Mallory Asher

Dirty Love is a 2005 American romantic comedy film written by Jenny McCarthy and directed by John Mallory Asher. The film stars McCarthy alongside Eddie Kaye Thomas, Carmen Electra, Victor Webster and Kam Heskin.

<i>Anatomy of Hell</i> 2004 film by Catherine Breillat

Anatomy of Hell is a 2004 erotic drama film written and directed by Catherine Breillat, based on her 2001 novel Pornocratie. According to Breillat, Anatomy of Hell is a "sequel" to Romance.

<i>Sex Is Comedy</i> 2002 film by Catherine Breillat

Sex Is Comedy is a 2002 comedy-drama film written and directed by Catherine Breillat. It revolves around a director and her troubles filming an intimate sex scene between two actors who cannot tolerate each other.

<i>Youth Without Youth</i> (film) 2007 film by Francis Ford Coppola

Youth Without Youth is a 2007 fantasy drama film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novella of the same name by Romanian author Mircea Eliade. The film is a co-production between the United States, Romania, France, Italy and Germany. It was the first film that Coppola had directed in ten years, since 1997's The Rainmaker.

<i>If Lucy Fell</i> 1996 American film

If Lucy Fell is a 1996 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Eric Schaeffer, who also co-stars in the film alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller and Elle Macpherson. It was released on DVD on January 30, 2001.

<i>Two Girls and a Guy</i> 1997 film by James Toback

Two Girls and a Guy is a 1997 American black comedy-drama film written and directed by James Toback and produced by Edward R. Pressman and Chris Hanley. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner.

<i>Black and White</i> (1999 drama film) 1999 American film directed by James Toback

Black and White is a 1999 American drama film directed by James Toback, and starring Robert Downey Jr., Gaby Hoffmann, Allan Houston, Jared Leto, Scott Caan, Claudia Schiffer, Brooke Shields, Bijou Phillips, and members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Onyx. The film also features Ben Stiller as a sleazy police detective, as well as Mike Tyson playing himself and Michael B. Jordan in his film debut. It had its first showing at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4, 1999, followed by a second screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 1999. It had its theatrical release in the United States on April 5, 2000.

<i>Seduced and Abandoned</i> (2013 film) 2013 American film

Seduced and Abandoned is a 2013 documentary film directed by James Toback. The film details the journey of Toback and actor Alec Baldwin, as they try to sell a film concept at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012. Taking part in several pitch sessions with producers as well as interviews with directors and actors, the duo explore the film production aspect of film financing. The film premiered at the festival a year later on May 20, 2013.

<i>The Big Bang</i> (1989 film) 1989 American film

The Big Bang is a 1989 documentary film, directed by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter James Toback. The film addresses questions about life and existence. It was released to theaters May 11, 1990, and aired on PBS on August 6, 1991.

The Outsider is a 2005 American documentary film directed by Nicholas Jarecki. In his 2001 book Breaking In: How 20 Film Directors Got Their Start, Jarecki had interviewed director and screenwriter James Toback. In The Outsider, Jarecki's first feature-length film, Jarecki tracks Toback through the shooting, editing, and marketing of Toback's 2004 film When Will I Be Loved.

References

Notes

  1. "When Will I Be Loved (2004)". Box Office Mojo.
  2. Cooper, Tracie. "When Will I Be Loved (2004)"
  3. Ebert, Roger. "From 'Scream' queen to intelligent sexpot" SunTimes.com (September 19, 2004)
  4. Childress, Eric. "CineVegas '05 Interview ('The Outsider' Director Nicholas Jarecki)"
  5. "When Will I Be Loved". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  6. "When Will I Be Loved Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  7. "When Will I Be Loved Movie Review (2004)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 29, 2015.