Murder by Death is one of my all-time favourite movies, and James Coco gives possibly my favourite performance in that film (it's either him or Falk), so I've long been curious to see the Neil Simon adaptation that got Milo Perrier a Best Supporting Actor nomination. And I was ultimately pretty pleased with the result.
This is one of those sigh-and-smile movies, the sort of bittersweet comedy-drama that Woody Allen churned out almost annually around this time. And while the presentation's a tad stagey (to the point where you can tell that this was originally a play), the writing is so sharp and compelling that the material works for me. It offers some gentle insight into complicated relationships and human nature, while also throwing out the kinds of clever one-liners and rapid-fire turns of phrase that make you wish you were much quicker on your feet than you actually are.
Granted, the genres do sometimes clash with one another (during the big dramatic scene, characters are still speaking in a droll manner, and it seems a little out of place), but there's a palpable insecurity and anxiety to these characters that keeps everything stabilized and believable. I liked spending time with these people, and I liked seeing them interact with one another, even if the subject matter isn't always pretty.
As for Coco, he's incredibly warm and funny in the role (to such an extent that the Razzie nomination makes zero sense to me), but this is clearly Marsha Mason's show. And if she's as good in her other Neil Simon movies as she is here, the 0/4 Best Actress shutout she received wasn't deserved.
Grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment