Oh, boy. Well, he sure got his revenge. I'm watching this film now, and I won't turn it off, but it's a complete bomb. What an embarrassment for everyone involved. I'm hoping the sight gag that's supposed to come later in the film is any good. But if I had never seen Lucy or Desi before viewing this film, I would probably think much less highly of them than I really do.
Lucy was a comedic genius, but it seems she rarely found her way in film. She's overplaying everything here, perhaps to compensate for stale, trite, and simply unbelievable material that lacks the sweet innocence of I Love Lucy.
The audience is simply asked to buy into too much of what's going on and identify with a simply stupid, lunatic protagonist. Everything is forced. I agree with the above poster who wrote that it felt like they ran out of material for the second act. The film's opening was pleasant, almost cleverly done, and I was amused early on, but everything devolved after that. They really don't have chemistry in this one. Who wants to see them fighting? But at least there's something at stake when they do. Natalie Schafer became repetitive quickly, but once she was gone, I realized how much the film was missing without her. It makes you wonder how appealing the Ricardos would have been on their own without the reflection of the audience that was the Mertzes. Thank God that writing this post has gotten me halfway through the film, because I don't know if I could have gotten through that much of it otherwise. This is easily the worst thing I've seen in years if not ever, despite the obvious talent involved.
If you're a fan of Lucy and this is her first film you see (although I don't know how; it's not one of her more famous ones and never on TV), please know that she can be delightful in the right film -- and not simply as the Lucy Ricardo character. She was completely natural -- and still silly -- in The Facts of Life and Yours, Mine and Ours.
Update: an hour and seven minutes in, I have to add that the exterior photography is lovely, though with those backdrops, how could it not be? That said, it's also nice to see Lucy and Desi in color. She looks beautiful, and they do have moments of genuine affection that come from their real-life bond. The film just has no wit or sophistication. The music is intrusive especially when you should be laughing. And Lucy just isn't sure how she wants to play this character. Is she a less manic version of Lucy Ricardo or isn't she? By now, she was becoming too middle-aged for this shtick to be believable.
Now we're in the tent. Everything is overplayed to little comic effect, given how little is actually taking place. Even Susan's nagging is just plain annoying. I've never see Lucy more unappealing; it's like she's a caricature of herself without the juvenile zaniness or the energetic demeanor. I hate this movie, probably especially because I'm such a huge I Love Lucy fan, and am surprised at how awful it is. Literally a difficult pill to swallow. If you want a charming and levelheaded dramedy about a couple in the autumn of romance, go watch Two for the Road.
WTF was up with that ending?
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