Took my time to collect my thoughts on this one. First time watching this classic, and it won’t be the last. As soon as I get a chance I’ll queue up the commentary on the Criterion blu-ray.
When a director has huge success, it gives them a chance to do “one for me,” or a less commercial project that otherwise would never have been green-lit. In other words, it’s almost always pretty interesting! This was Billy Wilder’s “one” for him…
This film has quite a few elements working in its favor. Beautiful production design and an exquisitely beautiful actress in the lead role. A director who knows a thing or two about lofty expectations placed upon a teenage girl. And a winking sense of historical significance.
That last point may well explain why I felt bored watching this. The French Revolution is arguably the most fascinating moment in European history between the Crusades and the World Wars. But we’re only…
Part stand up, part sermon; All testimony from a really funny dude who is loving his life right now.
The name of the special should have been “If I can be funny, I can stay alive.” Because for “What Had Happened Was…” we needed to meet Nurse Holly and Dr. White Boy. Don’t lose any of the performance footage but another 30 minutes of documentary style recovery footage would make this an unprecedented event. Just imagine if a recovering Christopher…
Of course it was all a fat man named Dewey’s fault. When the news shows his would-be mugshot and says “he will be held accountable” I was like Jesus man, might as well hang a target on the man’s back! His lawyers will have a field day. He was working long hours, in terrible conditions, with no supervision because the boss wasn’t even there yet, and Ted was off getting coffee flirting with his waitress…. Anyway, Justice For Dewey!
There’s…
