Touch and Go Reviews

Though not entirely successful, this charming comedy works thanks to the strong performances of its three leads and a conscious effort to avoid standard plot twists. Bobby Barbato (Michael Keaton), star player for a fictitious Chicago pro hockey team, becomes involved with Denise DeLeon (Maria Conchita Alonso), a pretty unwed mother, and her 11-year-old son, Louis (Ajay Naidu), after the boy is party to an attempted mugging of the hockey player. Bobby has never been one for commitment, but he finds himself grudgingly falling in love with Denise, who is menaced by Lupo (D.V. De Vincentis), a brutal teenage gang leader in the rough neighborhood she is determined to leave behind. Although Bobby does his darnedest to hang onto his independence, his path continues to cross those of Denise and Louis, and by the film's tension-filled end, you can bet one-night stands are a thing of the past for the hockey star. Although its plot is undeniably slight and its concept of reality a little far-fetched (how many home games does Bobby's team have and are they played only at times that are convenient for him?), TOUCH AND GO benefits so fully from the wonderful rapport among Naidu, Alonso, and Keaton that it becomes a warm, winning film. Keaton, in particular, delivers a fine performance, mixing his usual glib wisecracking with a quieter, more straightforward dramatic approach and acquitting himself well on the ice.