Review by Pedro Sena
2 stars out of 4
If John Cleese is not a very good actor, at least he is a very good writer.
And together with the director, they came up with a very cute script, that
runs along very well, and is perfect for Cleese, who does not have to
overplay his part, and neither does he have to play the type he is so well
used to in FAWLTY TOWERS, and the famous MONTY PYTHON skits. This is a well
scripted and thought out story, which has confined the advantages of each
actor into a nice little film. While far from great, it still is nice to
sit through, and does have some funny moments, almost all of them centered
on John Cleese, who seems to be specially suited to playing eccentric
characters, the most difficult style of comedic roles.
The story is a bit on the weird side... two thieves, Jamie Lee Curtis (she
looks great) and Kevin Kline are attempting to get to some more valuables
and they will get involved with
just about anyone to get it done. She ends up getting interested in John
Cleese for the wrong reasons, and has to play the role of a lover, much to
the chagrin of her real lover (Kline).
In between, John Cleese gets his marriage turned upside down (it wasn't
worth it anyway !!), and becomes interested in the woman thief, whom he does
not suspect of any foul behavior.
A bit of a mess, but a perfect situation to set up gags for John Cleese to
get caught in, and display his incredible ability to hold it under the most
unusual circumstances. I think he suffers from the Peter Sellers complex
that he must not crack up, no matter how difficult, and weird, the situation
can be. He holds his own.
Copyright © 1994 Pedro Sena
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