Cocktail (DVD 2002)

“Cocktail” with its fantastic tagline of “When he pours, he reigns” is an archetypical film of the 80’s with its high importance placed on money and materialism whilst the fashions and the soundtrack does the rest.
Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) an ex-serviceman with big dreams of making millions returns to New York ready to take on the giants of Wall Street. When he is turned down by company after company he answers a card in the window advert for help in a local downtown bar. The head barman, a rough and ready, but wholly likeable Australian named Doug Coughlin takes the young rookie Flanagan under his wing and teaches him not only the way to mix and serve cocktails but the rules and philosophy of life behind the bar. The two develop a stunning drinks routine and they are headhunted by a nightclub owner to work for him. All is going well until Brian starts to see a young woman who in the age-old tradition comes between the two friends with the result that Brian leaves New York for the golden sands of Jamaica where he’s heard a talented barman can make thousands of dollars.

Three years pass and Brian has struck up a developing romantic friendship with a young girl visiting the island called Jordan Mooney. Things are ticking along nicely when who should appear again but Doug and now he’s married with a trophy wife on his arm. Mind you the wife isn’t just beautiful she incredibly rich and has backed Doug to set up his own New York bar, and Doug offers Brian the job of head barman.

In a night of raucous drinking and macho posturing Doug bets Brian he couldn’t bed a rich older woman. Brian stupidly takes on and wins the bet and of course Jordan spots him and promptly leaves the island to return to New York.

The film is as fake and as obvious as the 80’s shoulder pads and is pretty clearly nothing but a stage to show off the young good looks of Tom Cruise. There are a million and one plot holes and the storyline more than once relies on the stupidity of the characters.

But that’s not to say the film isn’t an enjoyable romp through the sights and sounds of yesteryear and it’s well filmed and on the whole quite well acted. Cruise shows all the potential that has made him the super star he is, Elizabeth Shue is delightfully good looking and it’s a shame she didn’t go onto bigger things. The best performance though belongs to Bryan Brown as Doug who has the most interesting role and makes the most of opportunity.