I personally believe this subtle, yet heartbreaking movie is Jack Lemmon's best effort in his lifetime. Their are two types of movies; artistic movies and watch over and over and over movies, this finds itself in both categories. The acting is flawless by even the smallest players. I can't comment any further as of now but I was hoping to start a string of replies from those who appreciate this film as much as I.
shareI love this movie as well - think it's a classic statement, and his character is complex, three-dimensional, wonderful. That he shows this earnest character wondering why life these days is so amoral, even as he contributes to that kind of world - well-written, well-played.
I would, however, have to think a long time to come up with a "Best," when I have to choose among "Save the Tiger," "Some Like It Hot," "Days of Wine and Roses," and "Mister Roberts." In each, he was right on the money.
As for the film realization of the script, though, I have trouble with the ghostly soldiers actually appearing before OUR eyes. We are not Harry and should not be seeing that lost world through his eyes - he's already told us about the beaches with bikini-ed butts, and we don't need to see the dead, too.
There's something you're not catching onto. Just the fact that he sees his potential buyers as mere soldiers is the most significant part of that sequence. Not to mention that if we hadn't seen the soldiers, how would we know what is distressing him? That is, however, beside the point of what the soldiers truly represent. The hotel sequence was a sort of foreshadowing when Harry reveals what he truly thinks of his potential customers. You gain some, you lose some. The war desensitized Harry and all he saw in that unconscious man was the potential profit he offered; nothing more. Same as it would be in battle.
sharedefinatly an intense, incredible performance by a phenomenal actor. Although the movie isnt as good as Days of Wine & Roses, Jack's performance is.
shareCan't believe this isn't available on dvd anywhere! One of Lemmon's top 5 performances, he won the oscar for it for god's sake! Why hasn't it been released?!
"Thinking is for the gloopy ones and the oomny ones use, like, inspiration and what Bog sends."
Because nobody gives a rat's ass about real acting and good filmmaking anymore.
"Nobody puts one over on Fred C. Dobbs!"
My personal best of Mr. Lemmon's work is The China Syndrome... leaves a lump in my throat everytime I see it and of course who can forget Barefoot in the Park. But I did like this film very much.
You don't see many anymore who master their craft the way Jack Lemmon did. It's a real shame and with every crappy movie I see I find myself missing actors like him a little bit more each time.
I would rank this among Lemmon's greatest performances, along with THE APARTMENT, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, THE CHINA SYNDROME, MISSING, and GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. This intense character study of a lonely career man lost at the crossroads of his life and business was great entertainment for the discriminating filmgoer who was looking for something different.
sharei like this film.jack lemmon is good in it but i cant see how this film is so fondly remembered while his other seventies films are all but forgotten china syndrome excepted.it really isnt any better than his other seventies films such as prisoner of second avenue,and certainly not a patch on the apartment or days of wine and roses.is his performance here really better than redfords or newmans in the sting?it always baffles me that he won an oscar for this.
shareI just love when anyone talking about Lemmon mentions THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE...for so many years I thought I was the only person on the planet who had seen that film. It's one of my favorites.
shareJack was one of my all time favorite actors, but I am sorry to say that this was not one of my favorite films of his, of all the films of his I have seen (maybe 30 to 40 i would guess) this one would have to be in the bottom 10 to 15%, it was just too slow and ploding, his acting was outstanding, I have no problem with Jack, I just did not like the script I guess., anyway just my view, always a Jack Lemmon fan.
“Do not fear death... only the unlived life.” - Natalie Babbitt
I'm with photoseller on this one. As always, Jack gives a stellar performance in this, but in my mind, this film was more of a tour de force for Jack than a cohesive movie. For drama, I think he was at his absolute best in "Glengarry Glen Ross," where his character is alternately sleazy and sympathetic -- even more so than in this film.
I've just watched "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" again as well, which is probably my favorite of Jack in a comedic role.
I agree WarPedRecord Glengarry Glen Ross was a great film, I just ordered the dvd a few weeks ago, great acting all around from a fine cast.
“Do not fear death... only the unlived life.” - Natalie Babbitt
[deleted]
Love Lemmon. Probably the most sucessful actor at evolving from pretty much straight comedic roles at the start of his career to drama. Too many great performances to pick one that's best. He was fantastic portraying desparate men dealing with internal struggles: Days of Wine and Roses, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Save the Tiger are similar in that respect. I guess if forced to pick I'd go with GGR; he's older and more burnt out in that one, so I find it even more moving. Wasn't it fun tying to guess who stole the leads? That was a hell of a film.
Toward the end of his life he admitted to battling alcoholism during his career, so perhaps DOWAR was not such a stretch. Still, his ransacking of the greenhouse in search for a bottle is frightening in its display of how alcohol controls a person. It's one of the most dramatic scenes I've ever seen. And absolutely heart breaking how he leads Lee Remick to drink and then can't save her at the end. You look at the man's body of work and the realism he brings to the dramatic performances, it's hard not to think his off-screen life was filled with tragedy and demons.
For comedy, you can't beat The Apartment with that wonderful Billy Wilder script.
Lemmon is like the best of actors -- he makes his co-stars better.
I agree with you that it is not a great film, but Lemmon's performance in it is great.
sharemy favourite jack lemmon (dramatic, rather than comic) performances (not necessarily in this order):
"12 angry men"
"missing"
"save the tiger"
"the china syndrome"
"avanti"
"days of wine and roses"
"cowboy"
"airport '77"
'course, his comic performances are a whole 'nother bag of beans... :-)
and, i.m.h.o., just his being a movie made it a better one, regardless of how 'good' or 'bad' it was to begin with, or what genre film it was.
gregory 052407
I think this film may be Lemmon's best strictly dramatic performance, on par with Wine and Roses. He was an incredibly diverse and talented actor who managed to make even his least endearing characters have charm.
shareI agro on your definiton of movie,and i will put on this category also some like it hot which features,but that's not the reason i'm talkin about it,lemmons too
this movie i just watched is amazing.and it's incredible the actor who used to drag in that other notorius movie and keep saying i'm a girl i'm a girl,then goin dance tango here has some VERY beliveable sex scene with a much younger girl.But he was always ahead pf his time.look the days of wine and roses.there he was more then a sexually belivable actor distraughted by the war,there was an alcholist.he had this dark side,so true.
I agree. Actually I'd go as far as saying it's one of the top ten performances of all time. It's not flasy, just real.
share[deleted]
[deleted]
I SO AGREE THINK LEMMON WAS A MARVEL,,HE SO DESERVED THE BEST ACTOR OSCAR,,I REMEMBER WATCHING THE OSCARS THAT YEAR HOPING HE WOULD WIN,,,HE SO DESERVED IT.....ONE OF MY FAVS HAVE THE DVD WIDESCREEN
shareI'd say Lemmon was even better in MISSING and GLENGARY GLENROSS, although he was excellent in this oscar-winning role (as was Jack Gilford). The movie is pretty good, but the acting of those two and the chemistry between them make this a film worth seeing - sadly, it's almost forgotten today.
Lemmon plays a similar role of an even-more broken and desperate man (Shelley Levine) in GLENGARY GLENROSS, and viewers should enjoy both films.
I agree with you,,just love save the tiger glad he won,,was nominated for missing wasn't for glengarry glen ross,,a travestie,,he should of been nominated,,won 2 critics award for it...
share