1959 wacky romantic comedyRating: 17/20 (Jen: 14/20)
Plot: Two musician pals (Joe and Jerry, played by real-life gay lovers Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) struggle to make ends meet in late 1920's Chicago. After accidentally witnessing the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, they have to figure out a way to escape the mob. They decide to become Josephine and Daphne and join an all-girl band on their way to Florida. They fight for the affection of Sugar Kane Kowalcyzk (played by one of JFK's girlfriends) while trying to keep their true identities and genders hidden.
Lots of clever and very funny moments. It doesn't surprise me that the screenplay is clever and funny--some good running jokes and lots of more subtle moments that you'll miss if you're not paying attention. The action sequences with the gangsters, especially at the beginning, are also well done. The musical numbers sprinkled within the narrative are also fun and, in some cases, arousing. There were multiple times when Jen caught me with my hand down the front of my pants while Monroe was on-screen, but what's a guy supposed to do? Boop-boop-a-doop! She's good in this, just devious enough, just innocent enough, and just tempting enough to create a core for this story when it's about ready to lose control completely. There's an energy boiling under the surface of this one, a fervency, that makes it snap, crackle, and pop and raises it above your typical romantic comedy. My only real complain is that Jack Lemmon is a little too hammy, but his overly wacky performance does contribute to the movie's overall energy. How daring would this movie have seemed in the late-50's?
The whole thing is a little hammy. The three leads are incredibly charistmatic and you rightly mention the film's great energy. I watched a "making of" doc once that talked about how Monroe needing 30 and 40 takes drove everyone, including Wilder, up the wall. On the other hand, she is freakin' Marilyn Monroe. An 18.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Monroe, have you seen "All About Eve" yet? May I respectfully suggest that it should shoot to the top of your list after the frog movie?
ReplyDeleteOur weekly (sort of) movie night was "Some Like It Hot" It's really cool watching a classic through your children's eyes. They both gave it thumbs and toes up and spent several minutes after it was over quoting the Lemmon/Brown exchanges at the end. Very fun stuff.
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