The Concierge (1993 Barry Sonnenfeld)

Sonnenfeld was originally a cameraman and the film has a good strong visual style and momentum (Jim Miller is the editor). This is much of an improvement on The Secret of My Success, it's well acted, the horrible eighties music and style is gone, the story is fun, despite it being yet another reworking of The Apartment (the screenplay's by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner and Billy Wilder and Izzy Diamond). The hotel 'The Bradbury' is actually The Pierre at 2 East 61st and Fifth facing Central Park (not The Essex as claimed on IMDB). Fox is wonderful as the go-getting concierge (the title was changed to For Love or Money before release as execs at Universal thought people wouldn't know what a concierge was).

We last saw Anthony Higgins in a Lewis film 'Counter-Culture Blues' and in the Marple The Secret of Chimneys.

With Gabrielle Anwar, Udo Kier, Bob balaban, Michael Tucker, Dan Hedaya, Isaac Mizrahi, Fyvush Finkel.