Not a perfect film, and it takes a while to get into it, but it did not deserve the shellacking it received from critics at the time. Mind you, I think we forget now how irritating Peter Bogdanovich could be - check out some talk show clips from the time.
He's got the benefit of Cole Porter songs, pretty photography, a decent budget, and Burt Reynolds, Madeleine Khan and Cybill Shepherd are all very likeable in the leads. Duilio Del Prete is okay - not bad or offensive, he's handsome and can carry a tune, I just kept forgetting he was in the movie.
Eileen Brennan is perfect as the maid and John Hillerman and Mildred Natwick fine.
I'm sure it was a jolt that this musical was made where the leads couldn't really sing and, in particular,dance - maybe the dancing was a mistake, I mean they try, but no one can really do it. These days however it doesn't seem to matter - so many people do musicals who can't really dance or sing. I think it offended people in 1975.
Also I admit the beginning is confronting when Madeleine Khan launches into a song and her voice wobbles.
Cybill Shepherd really copped it but she's good, full of energy and pep. She later got plaudits for doing this stuff on Moonlighting but she's already doing it here. Reynolds is very engaging.
It isn't a great script. These sort of things are harder to do than they seem and Bogdanovich gets the surface right - wacky heiresses, millionaire playboys, showgirls, the dialogue overlaps and is fast, butlers and maids - it's never that funny or memorable. If only he'd collaborated with, I don't know, Neil Simon or someone. (I had the same problem with his other fast talking ensemble pieces like She's Funny That Way and They All Laughed).
But it's cheerful, everyone seems to like each other, the live recording does add an extra dimension. I'm not surprised this one is coming back a little, reputation wise.
No comments:
Post a Comment