Fortune Cookie - #849
[Movie Greats] [Billy Wilder 1966]
3/5
Synopsis:
At a football game, CBS camerman Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is injured when he collides with football player Luther 'Boom Boom' Jackson (Ron Rich). But his injuries are exagerrated when Hinkle's brother-in-law (Walter Matthau) lawyer realises the potential lawsuit on offer against CBS.
Opinion:
This is the film that won Walter Matthau is Oscar, and deservedly so. He is scintillating, literally tearing the screen apart with his cynical, conniving performance of a man realising the potential to sue. All future Matthau performance pale into significancy as he profoundly impact this film with strong presence, smart dialogue and fake emotion. Of course where this film succeeds is in the script- brilliantly written by I.A.L Diamond and
Billy Wilder- with its biting humour and behind the back tricks. Jack Lemmon himself, succeeds in maintaining screen presence ammongst the script and Matthau. His performance exhibits the confusion and many emotions his character feels and throughout the film he is both fragile and independant.
The story is told in scenes, each numbered (ie: 1. The Accident ), and this gives a real novel, carnival atmosphere throughout the film. Ron Rich as the depressed football player who genuinely feels remorse is a strong performance, yet his character and its motives gets lost amongst the remainder of the film.
Highly recommended.
Film Fact: The first time Lemmon and Matthaus appear in the same film. It would begin their 11 movie partnership.
Film Title: References the message Lemmon receives in whilst eating his Chinese Food
3/5
Synopsis:
At a football game, CBS camerman Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is injured when he collides with football player Luther 'Boom Boom' Jackson (Ron Rich). But his injuries are exagerrated when Hinkle's brother-in-law (Walter Matthau) lawyer realises the potential lawsuit on offer against CBS.
Opinion:
This is the film that won Walter Matthau is Oscar, and deservedly so. He is scintillating, literally tearing the screen apart with his cynical, conniving performance of a man realising the potential to sue. All future Matthau performance pale into significancy as he profoundly impact this film with strong presence, smart dialogue and fake emotion. Of course where this film succeeds is in the script- brilliantly written by I.A.L Diamond and
Billy Wilder- with its biting humour and behind the back tricks. Jack Lemmon himself, succeeds in maintaining screen presence ammongst the script and Matthau. His performance exhibits the confusion and many emotions his character feels and throughout the film he is both fragile and independant.
The story is told in scenes, each numbered (ie: 1. The Accident ), and this gives a real novel, carnival atmosphere throughout the film. Ron Rich as the depressed football player who genuinely feels remorse is a strong performance, yet his character and its motives gets lost amongst the remainder of the film.
Highly recommended.
Film Fact: The first time Lemmon and Matthaus appear in the same film. It would begin their 11 movie partnership.
Film Title: References the message Lemmon receives in whilst eating his Chinese Food
posted by Rhett (rhettrospective@hotmail.com) at 8:18 PM
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