| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
B+ |
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| Acting: |
A- |
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| Direction: |
B+ |
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| Visuals: |
B |
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Couple of old timers, in this belly-laugh film
by TonyM (movies profile)
Mar 1, 2008
Gene Saks is the director of this Neil Simon film, which he took from a play and thanks to Simon’s own screenplay made into this minor classic that keeps all the highly entertaining inter-play between the two stars. Jack Lemmon as the neurotic Felix Ungar and Walter Matthau as the slob Oscar Madison, are the first and best ‘Odd Couple’.
The main characters played by Matthau and Lemmon have never been bettered by anyone new who may have has tried the part on stage or on the screen. Matthau was a big influence in ‘Sesame Street’ which I can’t see without thinking of ‘Oscar the Grouch’ living in a bin and not think of Walter Matthau. There is a brilliant backing cast as well as Oscars card playing buddies who love going to his flat because they can just, relax. John Fiedler as Vinnie, Herb Edelman as Marv the Cop, David Sheiner as Roy and Larry Haines as Speed. There concern when they think Felix has killed himself and the quick-witted Oscar answering every query they make about Felix, with a straight answer and a little slight towards him (Felix) when ever they start to show concern. The magical ‘Pigeon’ sisters Monica Evans as Cecily and Carole Shelley as Gwendolyn Pigeon. When the sisters turn up after a few small mishaps in the kitchen, Felix goes to pieces trying to show the sisters the photo’s he carries everywhere of his children, his ex-wife and their flat.
The film works so well because of the superb casting of Matthau and Lemmon, their constant comical petty arguments over nothing. It’s like that old adage “Never lend money to friends”. There on screen relationship in the original also reminds me that you should never fall in love with your best friend (Girl or boy, in these P.C. times). Because that is how it would look in a more modern relationship; in those uptight days of the fifties, you are constantly reminded that Felix and Oscar are ‘real’ men who have just split from their wives, one a long time ago (Matthau) and one just recently (Lemmon).
The laughter is never forced, there is no need for canned laughter (At the play, I would bet my house on it), this is Simon at his most basically funny, no really deep message, it is all there on the screen in 6 foot high lettering.
FELIX DOES NOT WANT TO LIVE WITH A SLOB LIKE OSCAR; OSCAR DOESN’T WANT TO LIVE WITH A PRIMA DONNA LIKE FELIX. |
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