$13.49  The Out-of-Towners - DVD |
$9.95  California Suite - DVD |
$11.24  The Odd Couple - DVD |
$17.98  The Sunshine Boys - DVD |
$17.98  The Prisoner of Second Avenue - DVD |
 [Larger view] | Plaza Suite
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Average user rating:  | |
 Third Rate Simon | |
| I am a big fan of Neil Simon (also Woody Allen and Mel Brooks). But I didn't like this movie when it came out, and I didn't like it yesterday. Walter Matthau is not so protean as these reviews would have it. He can be very funny, but he needs a good script to do it. The women shone. The first story was brutally painful. The whole skit and all but 2 or 3 jokes belonged to Maureen Stapleton. The second sketch was simply nothing. Two things made me laugh (I was supposed to laugh, wasn't I?). When Matthau to freshen Barbara Harris' vodka stinger pours straight vodka right out of the bottle into her glass, and when she asks him (he's a movie producer) whether Frank Sinatra is as generous as people say he is, and he answers that at one of his dinners Sinatra served large portions. The third story had a lot of good guffaws in it, but it alas was a one joke show, and after the snappy ending, I was left feeling let down. Finally, I thought the curtain calls at the end of the flick were pretentious, the movie wasn't that good. | |
| Tour-De-Force For Matthau! | |
| What happens when you combine Neil Simon and Walter Matthau? You get this hilarious remake from a Neil Simon play! Matthau is just absolutely amazing to watch, going from one character to another! He proves his status as an "A" list actor. The story concerns Matthau playing three roles. Each just happens to be staying at the same room in the same hotel, at of course, separate times. And offers three different and unique stories for each situation. Of the three skits, I prefer the third sketch. Sure, many say the first one is better, but it's more sentimental then the three, which is exactly what it's suppose to be. But the reason I chose the third one is because, it's simply the funniest of the three. And when I watch a Neil Simon film, I expect pleny of laughs. And the third one offers them. Wonderful performances by all the supporting women. Many think Mauren Stapleton was the best off all three, she was in the "first act", playing Matthau's wife, who learns something terrible about her husband. And no, I'm not going to tell you. Barbara Harris is quite good in her performances as Murie Tate, Matthau's ex-wife, whom he calls over to his hotel room for some "fun", is you know what I mean. And last but not least, we have Lee Grant and Matthau play Mr. and Mrs. Hubley, who are having a hell of a time trying to get their daughter, who is having second doubts about the marriage, out of their hotel bathroom, so she can make her wedding! Unbelieveable chaos insues, and is a pure delight to watch. Unfortunatley Matthau wasn't even nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, what proves, that the Academy always makes some sort of mistake. Plus, the screenplay written by Simon wasn't up for Best Adapted Screenplay. One of Simon's best! If you enjoy this movie other Matthau & Simon films are: "The Odd Couple 1& 2", and "California Suite". | |
 Three Great Pieces | |
| I think Walter Matthau is the absolute greatest comic actor of all times,and Neil Simons the playwriter just suited for him.The first piece is comparable to Pinter's plays.I admit I've hated seeing good Walter play so despicable a charachter,so phoney,devious,unfeeling,arid and shallow.But he plays it so well that I forgive him,and Neil Simon .The second picece made me admire the way the extenuated ,cunning actor plays her way into the heart of his old friend.The third piece is pure laughter,yet one cannot but think that the delusions of marriage shown in the former pieces are an anticipation and premonition of the fears of the third couple's daughter. What if she and his laconic husband end up as the first couple?Will they ever prevent it..?This movie makes you laugh first,then makes you wonder! |
