Grumpy Old Men


2/4

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Kevin Pollack, Daryl Hannah, Burgess Meredith

Rated PG-13 for Some Sexual References

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were the ultimate odd couple (ironic because they were good friends in real life).  The comic chemistry between them was electric, and when director Donald Petrie concentrates on that, the film is hilarious.  Unfortunately, the film is more about the would-be tender romances that the Lemmon and Matthau have with the flighty new neighbor.  That would be fine, if it were funny (which is isn’t) or if Ann-Margret had any chemistry with either of her co-stars (she doesn’t).  Sadly that means a lot of boredom between the laughs.

John Gustafson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau) have been rivals for the last 50 years.  Pranks and name-calling are just two of the ways these two old codgers try to drive each other nuts.  But the private war going on between them has taken an interesting turn when a beautiful new neighbor, the flighty Ariel Truax (Margret) moves in across the street.

There are times when this movie is laugh-aloud funny.  The scenes when John and Max are at each others’ throats are hysterical.  But there just aren’t enough of these moments, and the romantic aspect of the film is dead in the water.  Even if the leads had chemistry, it still wouldn’t work because 90 minutes is not enough time to sufficiently develop two romances, even if they share a character.

I can’t blame the actors.  Lemmon and Matthau do what they can with the material they are given, but their characters are paper thin.  Ann-Margret is too flighty to be believable.  She may be a stunner to a pair of guys who debate on how they want to die, but once we’re introduced to her, we can’t understand why they are still interested in her.  The two supporting actors, Hannah and Pollack, have more chemistry than the three leads combined (at least romantically).

Donald Petrie is not exactly a name director, and this is why.  His films are perfectly vanilla with a few yuks along the way.  They’re typically not disasters, but there’s never anything special about them either.  But the decision to concentrate on the romantic aspect is a disaster.  With better realized characters and a less superficial script, it might have worked (the actors certainly have the talent to pull that sort of thing off), but as it is, it’s a real blow.  Pity, because there are some solid laughs in this movie (including the outtakes, which are, of course, hilarious).

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