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Rating:  - Matthau and Lemmon
Move over Martin & Lewis, there's a new team in town and they are packing with comedy and chemistry. Not sense Martin & Lewis has a pair been so magical on screen as Matthau & Lemmon. Although each can hold their own when it comes to acting, putting the two together in a movie was definitely a winning move. Their acting ability and skills are unlimited. From the Odd Couple to the Grumpy/Grumpier Old Men classics, their performances never fails to amuse and entertain.
Rating:  - not all that funny
Basically contrived and a waste of time. Although am a huge fan of both Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau...this poorly written flick doesn't cut it. Not the actors' fault, either. Blame it on Neil Simon--who was never very good to begin with.
To all the aspiring writers out there: if you want to know HOW NOT TO write a comedy all you have to do is watch anything written by Neil Simon. Why? Why does every third line have to be a "punch line?" Not only that, you can sense this guy (Simon) straining to be funny and clever...and he rarely is.
Most films written by this guy are really hard to take. Just my opinion.
Rating:  - They don't make 'em like this any more.
The Odd Couple (Gene Saks, 1968)
When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of the TV spinoff series of this movie. And yet, somehow, I never saw the original flick. It popped up a couple of nights ago on Turner Classic Movies, so I flopped down on the couch and gave it a go. My daughter wasn't so sure about it, and I'm not convinced my wife was, either, but I got a kick out of it.
Lemmon and Matthau, one of the great post-WW2 comedy teams, play neatnik hypochondriac Felix Ungar and sportswriting slob Oscar Madison, respectively. Ungar's wife has thrown him out; Madison has been divorced for years, and his wife lives on the west coast. Ungar, after his attempt at suicide goes wrong, comes to Madison for a place to stay for a few days. Madison sees all the reasons Ungar's wife threw him out (the obsessive cooking and cleaning) as perfect ways to complement Madison's, shall we say, less than pristine lifestyle, and invites him to stay there permanently. Fast-forward to three weeks later, and both of them are well aware why the other is divorced...
This is funny stuff. Yes, a lot of it plays these days as cliched, but remember that this is where the cliches got their start. This was 1968. Women's Lib was still coals simmering that hadn't erupted yet. Divorces were still few and far between. The idea of the sensitive man was still decades away from being popular. Felix and Oscar (and, for that matter, Cecily and Gwendolyn) aren't cliches as much as they are archetypes, folks. Look at it that way-- which is becoming increasingly easier to do as the country swings farther and farther back to the religious right-- and you see why this was one of the biggest hits of 1968. ****
Rating: - The Humor is Dated, But the Movie is Great
The late, great Jack Lemmon & Walter Matthau were one of the greatest comedy duos in the history of movies. This was (as far as I know) their first pairing, but they would reunite all through their careers and even died within months of each other. "The Odd Couple" introduces that same humor that we'd see in the "Grumpy Old Men" films and their other collaborations; The humor here is kind of dated, but it has its moments of fun and is, of course, incredibly charming. Jack Lemmon plays Felix Unger, a man whose wife has just filed for divorce. When we meet Felix, he's on the verge of committing suicide. Walter Matthau plays Oscar Madison, a divorced bachelor who spends his days gambling and getting calls from his ex-wife about how his alimony payments are late. With Felix's troubles, Oscar decides to let Felix stay with him.
The problem is, Oscar is a laid-back slob while Felix is a neurotic, neat freak...It doesn't take long before the two start to get on each other's nerves. The turning point comes when Oscar sets up a date for the two of them with two English sisters Cicily and Gwendolyn Pigeon and Felix breaks down, destroying the rest of the night. The film is written by Neil Simon, based on his play and this is a film that can truly be called perfect. As I said, the humor is dated and it's not as hilarious as it probably once was but there's not a single scene in the film that doesn't need to be in the film and there are no jokes that fall flat. They either work or they don't. Lemmon and Matthau are at the top of their game here and this is the best collaboration I've seen of theirs (although, the only other ones I have seen are the two "Grumpy Old Men" films). "The Odd Couple" is a human comedy that's realistic and funny with some great moments and a terrific, paradoxical ending. I highly recommend it.
GRADE: A
Rating: - One of the Greats
In my top five favorite all time movies. A must own.
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