My review was written in January 1982 after a Columbus Circle screening:
"Love & Money" is an arresting romantic suspense film which, in spite of several good performances and well-crafted individual scenes, fails to ignite. On the shelf for about a year, this second pic by filmmaker James Toback emerges with no mass audience appeal, but if carefully cultivated could find a sympathetic "class" following in the footsteps of "Cutter's Way" and its on-the-rebound sell.
Ray Sharkey toplines as Byron Levin, a case of arrested development who works in an L. A. bank and lives with his senile grandpa (KIng Vidor) and librarian girlfriend Vicky (Susan Heldfond). He comes out of his robot-like shell on meeting the beautiful Catherine (Ornella Muti), young wife of multinational business magnate Stockheinz (Klaus Kinski).
Following an intense romance with Catherine, Levin becomes involved with an international plot masterminded by Stockheinz. Leaving the folks at home high and dry, he flies to the Latin American country of Costa Salva to help Stockheinz deal with dictator Lorenzo Prado (Armand Assante), not coincidentally Levin's former college roommate, With assassination attempts brewing, Levin acts honorably but is set up as the fall guy. A denouement back home provides an open ending, with Vicky having split and Levin facing an uncertain future with his grandpa and Catherine.
With stylish but generally cool and aloof direction by Toback, the film's far-fetched plotline is deflected in favor of an obsessive after the ideal beauty of Catherine. Ornella Muti, already Italy's top femme box office star, makes a strong U. S. picture debut in this role, augmenting her famous exotic beauty with some powerful thesping. Toback emphasizes long, continuous takes (with camera moving) and Muti handles her lengthy English-language speeches smoothly.
Less successful is Ray Sharkey's handling of the central role, a blank when first introduced, but gradually attaining heroic stature. Most comfortable (and endearing) in comic scenes, as he does cute impressions of movie stars or hilariously lampoons Catherine's thick accent, Sharkey never brings out the fire of a man obsessed with the ideal woman. As a result, the fairly hot (though frontal nudity is omitted) love scenes with Muti lack the intended erotic impact.
The film's thriller content, never becoming dangerous enough to fulfill the premise inherent in Toback's script, is carried out by Kinski, who makes every moment count in his authoritative "heavy" assignment. Barking orders and dominating everyone in earshot, Kinski exhibits the physical screen presence that Sharkey lacks, and steals his scenes with no contest.
Ably delivering non sequitur dialog with a natural delivery, King Vidor is affecting as Sharkey's forlorn old grandpa. In a sketchy archetypal support role, Armand Assante is an unconvincing Castro clone.
Toback makes good use of location shooting, with cameraman Fred Schuler (introing most scenes with a sweeping crane shot) adding glamor to various California settings the way he subsequently did to New York City for "Arthur". Aaron Copland's classical score is in keeping with an overall film noir mood, but tends to add a sombre tone to scenes in need of excitement. Similarly, Toback's decision to film Costa Salva on cheap Cal. Locations robs the picture of scope.
Well-crafted but lacking the oomph necessary to win over domestic crowds, pic's best prospects might be in Europe, where both Muti and Kinski are top names. Something obviously went awry here betwixt penning and exhibiting, but "Love & Money" is nevertheless an intriguing motion picture.
