How wonderful remembering Michael J. Fox, young, vibrant, in good health and very much entertaining in this romantic 1993 comedy.When you see the first scene of the film, you think that Fox is a tyrant in the way that he can't stand to be in traffic. Nothing could be farther from the truth from that statement. He is the concierge at a Manhattan hotel who is totally sympathetic to the people working there.The story basically revolves around the fact that Fox likes the perfume girl behind the counter, only to find out that she is the mistress of a wealthy, nasty frequent visitor to the hotel. Shall we say that Fox and the guy continually do each other favors.The Bob Balaban role as an IRS agent quickly falls apart and Fyvush Finkel as an elderly employee make the film shine.The film does go down in the sense that there are too many intricate situations occurring. This is not the 1967 "Hotel" film.

I can't understand why this film gets such a low rating on IMDb. It's got everything - love, romance, dream, struggle, deception, insecurity, fear and hope. Its happy ending comes from the heart, not from the formula. Part of the reason the movie works so well is the screenplay which has got it right at all the right points. Some people say it's not "funny" enough, well, as far as I am concerned, for the genre of romantic comedy, it's very humorous (my personal favorite line is "how did my secretary get here?" - priceless!!).Second, the sincere and very endearing performances of the cast. The WHOLE cast. As for the lead, "Concierge" happens to be my favorite MJF's film. He is so natural in this, it doesn't even feel like he is acting. Gabrielle Anwar gives a pretty solid performance as well, and the chemistry between Andy and Doug is overwhelming. Well, pretty much every character is well written and acted and stands out on his/her own - Mr. Drinkwater, Milton, Mr. Himmelman, Julian Russel, Mr. Wegman... I find the Doug-Wegman plot line particularly dear and I shed a couple of tears every time Mr. Wegman tells Doug he is going to invest the money and make Doug's dream come true.I also think this movie has one of the best turning points (or one hour crisis points) ever. Again, my heart starts beating faster every time when Doug tells Andy about the hotel of his dreams as he narrates the unfortunate story of his father. "I am not going to be a 59 year old bellhop", says Doug. "Concierge"... - corrects him Andy. The roles are reversed here, before Doug had insisted to be called "concierge" instead of "bellhop" and now Andy calls him that. We see how, for the first time, Andy realizes that Doug is not her lover's "puppet", but an individual, a person with a great hope and a great dream.Overall, it's a wonderful family film to watch on a rainy day, right between "The Apartment" and "Sideways". Well, you can enjoy it even it you haven't got a family. It still works.

Michael J. Fox offers one of his strongest performances in FOR LOVE OR MONEY, a predictable yet entertaining comedy that bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1960 classic THE APARTMENT. Fox plays Doug, the slick concierge at a fancy Manhatten hotel who becomes caught between an unscrupulous businessman (Anthony Higgins), who he's hoping will help to finance his dream of his own hotel and his mistress (Gabrielle Anwar), a department store clerk and aspiring singer who refuses to accept the fact that the man is married and will never leave his wife. Fox gives his best performance since BACK TO TO THE FUTURE as a fast talking yet utterly charming con artist with impeccable people skills which have become both a benefit and a detriment where his work is concerned. Anwar is an attractive leading lady and Higgins is appropriately smarmy as the villain of the piece. An intelligent screenplay and noteworthy supporting turns by Michael Tucker as a hotel guest and Fyvesh Finkle as a senile bell hop are icing on the cake for this smart little comedy that went virtually unnoticed at the time of its release but provides breezy entertainment.

Some people have suggested that Fox's character in this movie isjust Alex P. Keaton all over again. I think they missed the point. Alex was in love with money. Doug is not as materialistic; hedoesn't desire money for its own sake, but views it as a tool thatwill help him realize his dream. Alex was self-centered. Dougcares about other people. He is successful because he canempathize with people and give them what they need. He is veryinspiring. This movie is described as a comedy, but I didn't find it veryfunny; I cared about the characters too much to laugh at them.