I've been watching those 80's Dudley Moore's flops just to see how incompetent those movies can be. Already underwhelmed by this one I felt the obligation to watch the 1948 original and both movies fail in their comedic pacing.
Both movies only really "start" halfway at the main concerto when the conductor plans how to kill his wife in dream sequences. Before this there's a long setup for his motivation where nothing happens. The 1984 script is a bit more playful but it still drags for one hour.
When you are already tired of Moore's character constant angry mood and overall lack of advancing plot the dream sequence kicks in. The dream sequence lasts for 10 MINUTES and soon I was questioning what I was seeing.
The joke setup by the writer/director is watching the planned execution in full, then watch the conductor's plan fail next. This is a weird structure that I never saw in any other movie. The 1948 version has three plans fully played in dream sequences but both only execute one. I wonder what was the point in showing the other two.
The 1984 version has a more elaborated execution sequence while the previous play more like a silent movie with simpler gags. This is the more straightforward comedic part in both movies.
The remake could not address this weird pacing of the original script and made things even slower. Moore's performance is serviceable but he lacks chemistry with any other actor in the film. This is a pointless remake of an already problematic movie.
Both movies only really "start" halfway at the main concerto when the conductor plans how to kill his wife in dream sequences. Before this there's a long setup for his motivation where nothing happens. The 1984 script is a bit more playful but it still drags for one hour.
When you are already tired of Moore's character constant angry mood and overall lack of advancing plot the dream sequence kicks in. The dream sequence lasts for 10 MINUTES and soon I was questioning what I was seeing.
The joke setup by the writer/director is watching the planned execution in full, then watch the conductor's plan fail next. This is a weird structure that I never saw in any other movie. The 1948 version has three plans fully played in dream sequences but both only execute one. I wonder what was the point in showing the other two.
The 1984 version has a more elaborated execution sequence while the previous play more like a silent movie with simpler gags. This is the more straightforward comedic part in both movies.
The remake could not address this weird pacing of the original script and made things even slower. Moore's performance is serviceable but he lacks chemistry with any other actor in the film. This is a pointless remake of an already problematic movie.