Anything But Love
Reviewed by Shelley Cameron for Reel Movie Critic
HHH
Cast
Isabel Rose	Billie Golden
Andrew McCarthy	Elliot Shepard
Directed by Robert Cary. Musical / Romance / Drama Rated PG-13. 99 Minutes.

A charming throw back to romantic musicals of 1950s Hollywood, this sweet story has a heart that elevates it above mere imitation. Essentially a story about remaining true to yourself, even when it means losing some things, star struck Billie Golden (newcomer Isabel Rose) is not so naïve that she can't separate reality from fantasy. She sings great American songbook standards, evenings and weekends, to a thin crowd of aging fans in a frayed Queens nightclub. To pay the rent she waits tables at one of the few still-thriving cabarets in Manhattan. The headliner is Eartha Kitt; the chanteuse who still packs the house and remembers when cabaret was king. In a minor but solid role, Kitt dispenses passing wisdom to Billie about the sacrifices of a career.

Due in large measure to Rose's refined performance as Billie, the film comes together nicely. Still hoping for a lucky break, Billie learns the painful reality that in spite of her spunk and adequate voice, there is no longer much demand for her brand of songstress. She's over 30, dresses in thrift shop vamp fashions, and knows her prospects are limited. Billie mixes her metaphors a little, combining the sexy Rita Hayworth look with the girl next door innocence of Jane Powell, nevertheless, she loves the genre.

Things heat up when she runs into old flame Greg (Cameron Bancroft), a lawyer who quit the public defending job that he liked for the certain success of corporate law. Rounding out the triangle is Elliot (Andrew McCarthy), a piano player who's embraced a cynical edge of protectiveness. When she loses her gig at Sal's club, it's time to take stock of her prospects. In spite of some corny lines like: "You're so greasy, you should come with a bottle of Dawn," the people and their heartaches are authentic, in a Hollywood musical sort of way.

With polished production values, the corporate lawyers' wives makeover number is particularly fun, but the film doesn't take cheap shots at anyone. Sweet but not saccharine, its happy ending, though expected, delivers a simple statement. Sometimes you make the right choice for the wrong reason, or the wrong choice for the right reason, and life goes on.

It succeeds where a similar attempt to re-create the period, "Down With Love" failed, because that film lacked that essential heart. While these characters are undeniably composites of well-defined types, the nuanced acting, especially from Rose and McCarthy, bring them to life as people you can care about. The quintessential New York City setting, complete with wet pavement, Central Park, and a great music room hidden in a dumpy warehouse building, puts us in the mood to believe, even though, like Billie, we know it's only make believe.