The Road to Wellville (1994)

Tagline: A comedy of the heart and other organs.
Cusack plays: Aspiring cereal businessman Charles Ossining

Make sure you're not having your tea when you watch this one, because they talk a lot of shit in this film. Anthony Hopkins is Dr Kellogg (he of the cornflakes) who runs a health farm in the early 20th century to return people to well health through enemas, vegetarianism, anal yoghurt treatment and a raft of other procedures. Married couple Matthew Broderick and Bridget Fonda visit to get better, but find themselves recieving some sexual healing from other residents.

Cusack features in the parallel story where he attempts to start a company cashing in on the recent craze for health food cereals and ends up with Kelloggs wayward adopted son as a partner.

The story keeps viewers interested, although it keeps getting sillier throughout. No performance really stands out as particularly special and Hopkins bunny rabbit buckteeth are rather irritating. Fine for one watch but not repeat viewings.

Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

Tagline: A killer comedy!
Cusack plays: Playwright David Shayne.

After his small part in Allen's Shadows and Fog Cusack is rewarded with a leading role this time around. He is a playwright in 1920s New York forced to cast the untalented actress girlfriend of the mobster financing his production. Thankfully her bodyguard turns out to be quite a talented scribe.

I don't have any great love for Woody Allen, but this was pretty enjoyable. There's probably all kinds of intellectual stuff going on there that I won't claim to understand, but for story and humour its a good film. By god Jennifer Tilly's voice grates though.

Floundering (1994)

Tagline: A post-riot comedy
Cusack plays: JC

This was, so far, the hardest film to get hold of. I had to import the DVD from the States. I was kind of hoping that the billing and picture on the cover meant that he would have a significant part. But no, he's only in one scene. Grr.

I get the feeling this 'comedy' and social commentary was a real collaborative effort and the people involved enjoyed being part of it. But as a viewer, its not that engaging. John (James Le Gros) 'flounders' in LA in the aftermath of the 1994 riots, thinking of how he could help others and improve the world, but lacking the motivation to do so. There are a bunch of disjointed and often imaginery scenes with various characters in his life.

it feels very 90s, and perhaps had some relevance and meaning at the time, but 16 years on, its dated at worst, retro at best. I found the singing and dancing by cast and crew over the end credits rather excruciating. At least JC just nods along and looks cool in his shades.