THE COCA-COLA KID

Directed by Dusan Makavejev.  Written by Frank Moorhouse & Denny Lawrence
Starring Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood
1985, 98 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

This is one seriously odd movie, from Eric Roberts' VERY strange lead performance (which grows on you the more times you see the film) to the blunt use of black comedy in the oddest places, this movie would seem to be the definition of "acquired taste".  Still, parts of it are quite funny and it's never boring.  Greta Scacchi gets fully nude several times, which is sure to allow many to overlook the film's faults.  The film never lives up to its initial promise, as it loses steam and focus the farther it gets into the plot.  It also has one of the most patently bizarre endings for a relatively mainstream movie that you will find.

It's hard to say what this movie is really "about".  Maybe it's not supposed to be about anything.  Roberts plays a Coca Cola salesman/marketing specialist trying to increase sales in Australia.  He meets some strong opposition from a local soft drink maker--T. George McDowell--who has successfully kept Coca-Cola out of his region for many years.  Roberts looks upon it as a challenge and becomes determined to win the soft drink battle at any cost.   The film doesn't ultimately develop this storyline, however.  In fact, it kind of peters out after a while and the film slowly becomes more interested in a love story between Roberts and Scacchi.  

It strikes a somewhat uneasy balance between wacky comedy and endearing drama.  At times, it seems like it's going to work better than it eventually does.  On my most recent viewing, I noticed some continuity issues that may indicate some juggling of scenes in the editing stage.   Of particular note is the musical number that was obviously intended to be earlier in the proceedings.  Also, Roberts' character gets into a fight at one point and his injuries come and go for a bit, although this may simply be sloppiness in the filmmaking process.

Perhaps the fact that it is based on two short stories accounts for the lack of overall cohesiveness. There are some wildly idiosyncratic moments that come from left field that ultimately do more harm than good--including a very strange coda.  It's also possible that I entirely missed the point of the movie the five or six times I've watched it.  I dunno.  The film features attractive actors and a few laughs.   I probably will watch this again sometime, however, so that should stand as my recommendation.

Viewed more recently, Robert's performance seems almost like a template for Matthew McConaughey's performance in THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.  Just saying, is all.