Grumpy Old Men.

Review #1505: Grumpy Old Men.

Cast:
Jack Lemmon (John Gustafson Jr), Walter Matthau (Max Goldman), Ann-Margret (Ariel Truax), Burgess Meredith (John Gustafson Sr), Daryl Hannah (Melanie Gustafson), Kevin Pollak (Jacob Goldman), Ossie Davis (Chuck), Buck Henry (IRS Agent Elliott Snyder), and Christopher McDonald (Mike) Directed by Donald Petrie.

Review: 
"It was a very unusual relationship right off the bat, the very first day, because it clicked so totally and easily there was just nothing to it."
"Because it was about a couple of guys in the Midwest, snapping at each other, calling each other names, looking forward to that every day"

It just goes to show you could put almost any director with some name stars and it could work out nicely for itself. Oh sure, Donald Petrie isn't exactly a nameless one-time comedy director (thirteen films is a nice accomplishment for anyone, and this also served as the first screenplay for Mark Steven Johnson), but who are we are kidding here? This was the six of ten films involving actors (and friends) Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, which consisted of eleven overall films (nine where they starred together, one where they had no scenes together, and one where Lemmon directed Matthau). Both had lengthy careers of versatility that could spring into comedy or drama when needed, with highlights for each actor being films such as Mister Roberts (1955), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Odd Couple (1968), and Save the Tiger (1973).

Look, sometimes one latches on to a film no matter how obvious it may or may not be about its intent. It has the appeal of an restaurant you return to after a couple of years removed from memories long since past, where you can still see the creaks and bumps that made it what it was, whether with yourself or with friends (good or bad, depending on loyalty) that we can't help but still care about in some sort of way. Whether or not it is like red meat for an older audience in terms of appeal, there is still some joy to be found within its established stars that one cannot help but like to see. I suppose anytime one wants to view actors banter with a mix of obscenities and nonsense could be interesting, but Lemmon and Matthau have the timing necessary to make it consistent in generating a chuckle without being stuck in bland sitcom-land material. Lemmon proves his ground in patience in the art of refined timing, careful in handling a thin story made to give him cheeky things to do, whether that involves a mad ride on a snowmobile or being out in the cold bantering with his fellow "putz". Matthau follows along with just as careful temperament in driving in a long feud together with snappy irascibility. Ann-Margret accompanies the proceedings with flourish and well-needed energy that drives along a few charming smiles. The true highlight among the supporting cast proves to be Meredith, who is quite amusing in small doses with rascally established charm. Hannah and Pollak prove fine in the careful confines of normal counterparts to parents having more fun in older life than they are. Davis does not really have much to do, but his scenes with Lemmon and Matthau are at least worth it. In any case, what we have here is a mostly-decent film that runs with a reliable 104 minute pace with likable characters and a few amusing moments that generally smooths over the creaky predictability and clichés with a decent heart to resonate in decency the whole family can generally get behind and smile just fine.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Lonely Are the Brave.

Review #1229: Lonely Are the Brave.

Cast: 
Kirk Douglas (John W. "Jack" Burns), Gena Rowlands (Jerry Bondi), Walter Matthau (Sheriff Morey Johnson), Michael Kane (Paul Bondi), Carroll O'Connor (Truck Driver), William Schallert (Harry), George Kennedy (Gutierrez), and Karl Swenson (Rev. Hoskins) Directed by David Miller.

Review: 
Sometimes you come across a Western that is a bit different from the rest. This Western drama is adapted from Edward Abbey's 1956 novel The Brave Cowboy with a screenplay from Dalton Trumbo. The film deals with the difficulty an individual can have living within growing society, one where wires and fences loom over the open country, where one lone man stands with his principles. Douglas (who calls this his favorite film) was attracted to playing the lead after reading the novel, with him getting Universal Pictures to help fund the film with him as star, complete with cast and crew recruited from his production company Joel Productions. Filmed on a budget of two million around Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lonely Are the Brave is a stark and excellently done tragic classic, headlined by a great performance from Douglas alongside a capable supporting cast to go alongside him in a film that stands out from other Westerns of its time, both in setting and in tone. Key moments include Douglas and his fight with a one-armed man (Bill Raisch, a stand-in for Burt Lancaster on occasion best known for his appearances on The Fugitive beginning the following year), well-done cinematography by Philip H. Lathrop that shows off vast landscape shots without trouble and fine detail and an understated performance from Matthau, who was more known for his work on the stage (winning his second Tony Award the same year of this film's release, in fact). For the most part, this is a film for Douglas to grab with his performance, which is quite wonderful, running the gamut in grace as a man of the West trapped in a tragic fate of a moving world that makes this revisionist Western stand tall. Rowlands and Kane do fair with their brief time on screen, being the kind of people who could cross paths with a rogue like our lead without seeming completely in the background, trying to roll with their path in a weary world. The other members of the cast (including a young O'Connor) do just fine, including a rough Kennedy. It did not prove to be a huge hit upon initial release, in part because of disputes between Douglas and Universal over how the film should be released, with Douglas believing it should be released in art-houses and gradually build its audience and the studio preferring to release it wide without any sort of big support. Despite this, the film has its own cult following and it isn't hard to see why. It has a solid headliner with Douglas in a role he excels with, making it obvious why he would adore it still after half a century since, since it is a solid production with its own bit of thrills and distinctive voice among Westerns that make it a fair piece to recommend out of curiosity on the trail.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Charade (1963).

Review #1029: Charade.

Cast: 
Cary Grant (Peter Joshua), Audrey Hepburn (Regina Lampert), Walter Matthau (Hamilton Bartholomew), James Coburn (Tex Panthollow), George Kennedy (Herman Scobie), Dominique Minot (Sylvie Gaudet), Ned Glass (Leopold W. Gideon), Jacques Marin (Insp. Edouard Grandpierre), Paul Bonifas (Mr. Felix), and Thomas Chelimsky (Jean-Louis Gaudet) Directed by Stanley Donen (#137 - Bedazzled, #227 - Singin' in the Rain, and #346 - On the Town)

Review: 
Writers Peter Stone and Marc Behm had made a script called The Unsuspecting Wife across Hollywood, however nobody wanted the script. It was turned into a novel (with the title of Charade), along with being serialized in Redbook magazine, with attention soon focused on it, with the rights sold to director Stanley Donen. The final script was written by Stone to fit the main cast, while Behm got a co-credit for story. In any case, this is a movie that fits into three genres: suspense thriller, romance, and comedy, and the final result is a film that does well in all three genres, particularly due to the cast. The movie has been cited as one resembling an Alfred Hitchcock movie (Grant had starred in Hitchcock's North by Northwest (#223) four years prior), with a few plot twists, scenes to build tension, and innocent people thrust into strange/dangerous situations. It helps that the title sequence is done by Maurice Binder, who would become famous for doing the title sequence for the James Bond films for over 20 years, with Henry Mancini providing the music score.

The movie also happens to have an interesting relationship between Grant and Hepburn, resembling something out of a romantic comedy, although this is one that is quite interesting. Grant was nearly 60 by the time of the film's release in December of 1963, with the age difference between him and Hepburn being one of roughly 25 years. There are lines in the film where he comments on his age, and it is Hepburn who pursues him, which is certainly refreshing. In any case, they have good chemistry with each other, responding with a sense of wit and fanciful cleverness that always seems right. In terms of the suspense elements, they also do a good job handling the thrills and suspense just right. Hepburn is refreshing and compelling as usual, which one could apply to Grant as well. Matthau does a fine job, sticking out easily but being quite useful for the film. The trio of Coburn, Kennedy, and Glass are all fine adversaries for the movie, not merely just cardboard cut-outs for the film to throw away without giving them some sort of scene for them to stick out, such as when they first appear during a funeral. The rest of the cast is also fairly decent in their roles. In any case, this is a movie that keeps you on your toes, having a few turns that don't cheat the audience but keeps them guessing and keeps them excited as well. The violence that occurs in the film may feel a bit off in tone with the other parts of the movie, but it never comes off as too distracting with the entertainment that comes with the movie. The run-time of 113 minutes is pretty fair for the film, never really dragging at any one point.

One thing to note is that the movie is in the public domain, due to an error made by Universal Pictures (the studio that released the film) on the copyright notice. At the time, copyright notices needed to include "Copyright", "Copr." or its symbol on the notice, but since there was no such thing on there, the film (but not the music by Henry Mancini) was immediately in the public domain upon release. The film has been remade four times: Kokhono Megh (1968), Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978), The Truth About Charlie (2002), and Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne (2003). In any case, Charade is a fine gem that succeeds in what it wants to be, whether a thriller or a romantic comedy, whether due to Donen's execution of the script, or from the dynamic cast. This is an easy one to recommend, for all the charm and fun that it inspires.

Let me say a few words about the significance of today's day, December 20th. Seven years ago on this day, Movie Night was created. Over the years, I have done reviews on this certain day for previous anniversaries, from The Iron Giant (#083) for 2011, The Avengers (#312) for 2012, The Man Who Came to Dinner (#501) for 2013, Shock (#676) / Elf (#677) for 2014, Galaxina (#770) for 2015, and Billy Madison (#887) for 2016. Obviously the show has evolved quite a bit since then, and I like to think that Movie Night will continue to evolve and hopefully stay useful, no matter what happens. Thank you. 

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Bigger Than Life.

Review #928: Bigger Than Life.

Cast: 
James Mason (Ed Avery), Barbara Rush (Lou Avery), Walter Matthau (Wally Gibbs), Robert F. Simon (Dr. Norton), Christopher Olsen (Richie Avery), Roland Winters (Dr. Ruric), and Rusty Lane (Bob LaPorte) Directed by Nicholas Ray (#181 - Rebel Without a Cause)

Review: 
For the time this was made (in the middle of the 1950s), this certainly stood among movies that revolved around the life of a family, especially considering its subject matter (based off a 1955 story in The New Yorker named Ten Feet Tall by Berton Roueché). While it does serve as a cautionary tale about overuse of medications (with cortisone - discovered less than a decade prior to the release of this film), it also manages to weave a tale about conformity and family life. Granted, the highlight is undeniably Mason (who also produced the film), showing different kinds of emotions through the film that seems convincing; these range from being a caring family man to being in pain to being infused with megalomania, and he does it without going over the top (I do wonder if this could be cut into a horror film, especially the ending). Matthau does an understated job in a supporting role, playing the role neatly enough. Rush also does a good job in the movie as well, neither just being the other lead in a movie with a character as larger than life as Mason plays; she manages to show us her side of what she sees in the life of her household. It's strange how a scene involving a broken mirror can work so well in showing both Mason and Rush at their best, but it just helps with showing the fractured nature of the things to come. Olsen is the weak link of the three (but being a child actor, I'll cut some slack), but he does a well enough job in being as natural as one can be, and he also does a fine job in the climax. In a movie that flows well at 95 minutes, the climax is given fine buildup while also delivering in delivering drama along with suspense. This isn't a movie that relents nor allows any easy kind of cheap critiques, merely allowing this drama to play out. It has its moments of fine drama that will assuredly work for anyone looking for a film that doesn't hold judgement.

Happy May Day, folks.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Bad News Bears (1976).

Review #616: The Bad News Bears.

Cast
Walter Matthau (Coach Morris Buttermaker), Tatum O'Neal (Amanda Whurlitzer), Chris Barnes (Tanner Boyle), Vic Morrow (Roy Turner), Jackie Earle Haley (Kelly Leak), Joyce Van Patten (Ms. Cleveland), Ben Piazza (Bob Whitewood), Alfred Lutter III (Ogilvie), Erin Blunt (Ahmad Rahim), and Gary Lee Cavagnaro (Engelberg) Directed by Michael Ritchie.

Review
At the end of the day, the movie is a look back into how competitive can get about a simple game of baseball. So I figured, give that the All Star Game is tomorrow, why not review a baseball movie? So how is the movie you may ask. I guess it's alright, it all depends on what your memories of being a kid are, competing in sports, or just being a kid. The baseball action is good and all, but the movie's main focus is on Matthau with his troupe of misfits that are somewhat endearing, and somewhat colorful. But is the movie funny? Yeah, it has its moments, I admit that playing the Carmen theme when showing the kids and their "talent" on the baseball field for the first time is oddly hilarious. Matthau is a grouch, but he is a fun guy to watch, especially when trying to coach. O'Neal is interesting to watch, especially when paired with Matthau, such as when they first meet, her selling Maps to the Stars to random passersby. The movie is pretty brutal, especially with its characters, and in the end, nobody wins, everyone seems to have die a little inside, ad they celebrate with beer, so I guess somebody wins. Watch some baseball tomorrow, or revel in some past baseball. Or see the movie, I suppose. Whatever works best.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Cactus Flower.

Review #438: Cactus Flower.

Cast
Walter Matthau (Dr. Julian Winston), Ingrid Bergman (Stephanie Dickinson), Goldie Hawn (Toni Simmons), Jack Weston (Harvey Greenfield), Rick Lenz (Igor Sullivan), Vito Scotti (Señor Arturo Sánchez), Irene Hervey (Mrs. Durant), and Eve Bruce (Georgia) Directed by Gene Saks.

Review
This film is (sadly) connected with the grand atrocity Just Go With It, reviewed nearly 400 reviews ago, as that was a remake of Cactus Flower, which was also inspired Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, a 2005 film made in India which is probably way better than Just Go With It. Goldie Hawn makes her first starring role as a main lead, though her first movie appearance was in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. Hawn, who had previously been on Laugh-In, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this film, and I can see why. She's charming, she has talent and she's a very convincing actress and she stands her ground of being notable, especially at the likes of Matthau and Bergman. The actors are what that "remake" had nothing of: Funny. They convey the laughs, they aren't  too vulgar in their approach, and...this is has a good story to it (Being based off the play Fleur de cactus by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Grédy), which makes sense. Matthau and Bergman are very good, and when combined with Hawn and also Lenz, this makes a dynamic comedy that blows its remake into the graveyard of terrible remakes. I could say more, but half of what would be said would be further trying to prove that Adam Sandler can't make a funny 2000s comedy and that Goldie Hawn, Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman do a great job and the dialogue, which works well. So it's best to quit while I'm (probably) ahead.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Fortune Cookie.

Review #422: The Fortune Cookie.

Cast
Jack Lemmon (Harry Hinkle), Walter Matthau (William "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich), Ron Rich (Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson), Judi West (Sandy Hinkle), Cliff Osmond (Chester Purkey), Lurene Tuttle (Hinkle's mother), Harry Holcombe (O'Brien), Les Tremayne (Thompson), Lauren Gilbert (Kincaid), Marge Redmond (Charlotte Gingrich), and Noam Pitlik (Max) Directed by Billy Wilder (#106 - Some Like It Hot and #194 - Ace in the Hole)

Review
It was fun to watch the last two Billy Wilder films reviewed here, and so I came into watching The Fortune Cookie with a lot of optimism. I wasn't that disappointed. Lemmon and Matthau play off each other well, and it's usually fun to have actor reappear in these reviews, especially Matthau. Ron Rich does a good supporting job, likable and enjoyable. Judi West (who apparently only made two other films) is alright, and she works alright when combined with Lemmon, which I suppose is enough. There are fun moments, with some funny bits and most of that is generated either by Lemmon, Matthau or both combined, which works out pretty well, and it gives the film a bit more depth, along with warmth. It manages to override the 90 minute cliche of comedies, which I gladly endorse as long as the comedy works, which it does. It has its moments, and 2 hours isn't much to ask for, so I recommend to give this film a shot. You won't regret it.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Sunshine Boys.

Review #244: The Sunshine Boys.

Cast
Walter Matthau (Willy Clark), George Burns (Al Lewis), Richard Benjamin (Ben Clark), Carol Arthur (Doris Green), Rosetta Le Noire (Odessa), and Lee Meredith. Directed by Herbert Ross.

Review
To begin with, this is an interesting film, with a cast full of people I hadn't reviewed ever before (or watched for that matter) And....it works. The film after 37 years still holds up as a fun filled riot. Matthau and Burns work out well, acting like....well, a former comedy duo, which given the film, works. The film holds on steady grounds, having some long stretches that do hold your attention as the film goes on. This is a film I have no regrets of watching, which is always a good thing. Countdown to 250: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.