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This brilliant, intelligent comedy showcases
Neil Simon's creative genius, in creating a hilarious story about
two divorced men, who decide that they want to share an apartment.
When Felix (Jack Lemmon) is thrown out of his house by his fed-up
wife, he is emotionally devastated, feeling like he has lost everything
he cared about. Oscar (Walter Matthau) who his dear friend and
poker buddy, offers to share his big, 8 room apartment, as he
too is divorced, and feeling lonely, and a little depressed himself.
The fun starts when Felix moves in with Oscar.
Oscar and Felix have radical, opposite personalities, and habits,
making them a really odd couple of convenience, compassion and
friction. Oscar is an incredible slob, with the unique ability
to mess up any room in no time flat, without even thinking about
it; qualifying him to be the poster child for any good housekeeping/
healthful living advocate group.While Felix, although a tremendous
cook and housekeeper, is a fussy, obsessive perfectionist; being
"fastidious to a fault," as well as having some really
annoying personal habits; (check out the restaurant scene). Felix
can't stand to see anything out of place, or any mess of any kind,
and proves "that cleanliness is next to insanity."
The result is a hilarious script, by Neil Simon,
carried out flawlessly by two veteran, academy-award winning actors,
Matthau and Lemon, who work together,"with the precision
timing of a vaudeville team," showing "bright spontaneity"
in their craft, and creating the "enduring and endearing"
film that Simon envisioned, and Producer, Howard Koch, wanted
to make.
As most of the film is shot in Oscar's apartment,
with only a few scenes outside this set, the greatness of this
film is due to the acting talent seen, the direction, by Gene
Saks, and the marvelous script. This small, ensemble cast does
a great job working together, providing great support for Matthau
and Lemon.
Favorite scenes include: The opening poker scenes,
Matthau / Lemon scenes at the apartment and restaurant, their
date scene in the apartment with the neighbor women, and the fight
scene.
The cast is Jack Lemon (Felix) and Walter Matthau
(Oscar). Poker Buddies: John Fiedler (Vinnie), Herbert Edelman
(Murray), David Sheiner (Roy), Larry Haines (Speed). Neighbor
women: Monica Evans (Cecily), and Carole Shelley (Gwendolyn).
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