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Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Predrag Dudley made the film so much more funny. By seeing both versions you can why Dudley was a comic genius. I miss him. Dudley makes clear what screwballs we humans are. And he takes ordinary script lines and makes them very funny. Many of the elements of a Shakespearean comedy are in this film, but unlike the plays, this film has a terrific music score, has beautiful photography, and has simple dialogue. What makes this film great, for those mature enough to understand it, is Dudley Moore. Nothing goes as planned and each instance is usually good for a few laughs.Howard Zieff is not exactly what I would call a great director, he was the man behind "The Main Event" and the "My Girl" films, but, he strings things together nicely here. The script is not completely a dud. Barry Levinson had a hand in the remake, so expects some funny bits. One of my favorite scenes is at the restaurant when Moore "thinks" Armand Assante is confronting him about having an affair with his wife, and the start a dueling violin contest of Tchaikovsky. Mr. Moore shows us his gift as a true comedian with shades of slapstick mixed in. Richard Libertini steals the film as Moore's Italian butler and the laughs are countless. The New York City scenery also is a plus with lots of midtown Manhattan brilliantly showcased (made me nostalgic).Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Robert J. Maxwell Not bad for a remake. The central character is altered to suit Dudley Moore instead of Rex Harrison. Harrison was more suave. This script has Moore doing a variation of his stone roles in "Ten" and "Arthur." He gets bombed on tranquilizers during the climactic act-out and stumbles into walls and broom closets, detracting a bit from whatever sophistication the original had but making this version no less amusing.The plot. Dudley Moore is a celebrated orchestra conductor. A series of mistakes leads him to conclude that his wife, Nastasja Kinski, is having an affair with a man who wears argyle socks. There is a furious search for argyle socks, with Moore ducking under the tables of fancy restaurants to check the socks worn by his companions. It's an old scene, this ducking under restaurant tables, but Moore pulls it off as well as anyone could. The only argyle socks he can find are those worn by his friend, the violinist Armand Assante.Moore concocts a scheme to kill his wife and frame the violinist for the murder. The scheme isn't so much improbable as it is impossible, but it's funny enough in fantasy. When Moore tries to pull it off, everything goes wrong, of course, and the movie more or less collapses into frenzy.Moore is good at these kinds of roles. God knows he's had enough practice. And he's a likable chap. It's difficult to envision him in an action movie -- "My Knife Is Quick", or something. Armand Assante is fine in a comedy. The first impression he makes is one of beefy, self-confident masculinity, but he's quite good in comic roles and is capable of self ridicule in a way that, say, Sylvester Stallone is not. Of Nastassja Kinski, what is there to say? She's sinewy, stunningly beautiful, more animated than usual, and edible.Not a masterpiece but enjoyable.

jotix100 Preston Sturges, that genius of the American cinema, made a statement when he wrote and directed the 1948 film, which in comparison with this 1984 attempt seems to be brilliant. Not only was the film great, it had a wonderful cast of accomplished comedians with Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, and Rudy Vallee in the main roles.Howard Zieff's version suffers in contrast in that is not as effective and even handed as the original one. Where Preston Sturges went for subtlety and sophistication, Mr. Zieff goes for a more splashy comedy, that at times seems forced.Basically, the film doesn't improve on its model. Dudley Moore goes overboard with his take on Claude Eastman, the conductor. Natassja Kinski is terribly miscast as the Italian actress Daniella, who is married to Eastman. Armand Assante does what he can.The film, photographed in Manhattan, takes us to places that are not around any more, like it's the case with the Russian Tea Room, where a few scenes were shot.Find the original for a more satisfactory view.

edwardholub ...was Dudley Moore's character drunk through most of the movie. I kept looking at his eyes and it seemed to me that he was intoxicated in scenes that featured no spirits. I rented the DVD because of the one and only funny scene where he follows his wife into the cinema and loudly accosts two strangers. He slithers into the row in front, pops up and screams, "YOU WHORE!!!" It's hilarious. However, it's the ONLY laugh in the movie. If Dudley felt he needed to be drunk to play some scenes, then shame on him. A lot of comedic actors get stuck in a bad script and they still do their job. Someday I hope to see the original Preston Sturges comedy starring Rex Harrison.