Desperately Seeking Susan

Directed by Susan Seidelman, Desperately Seeking Susan follows bored housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) whose life is thrown into disarray after she unwittingly assumes the identity of a rebellious figure named Susan (Madonna). Filmmaker Seidelman delivers a somewhat sluggish yet mostly engaging comedy that benefits substantially from her eye for authentic NYC-focused elements, and it’s clear, too, that the strong work from an incredibly capable cast goes a long way towards smoothing over the periodic lulls in the narrative – with Arquette’s effective, affecting turn as the central character matched by her various costars. (Madonna is better here than in any of her other cinematic endeavors, to be sure.) Despite its surfeit of positive attributes, however, Desperately Seeking Susan is never quite able to elevate itself above the level of passable entertainment, with the picture’s lack of stand-out sequences certainly playing an instrumental role in cementing its rather forgettable feel. The end result is a perpetually erratic piece of work that gets by on the charm of its cast and ‘80s ambiance, although it’s ultimately difficult not to lament Desperately Seeking Susan‘s inability to wholeheartedly command the viewer’s interest and attention.

*** out of ****