A FISH CALLED WANDA
A film review by Peter van der Linden
A local theater previewed A FISH CALLED WANDA last weekend. A FISH CALLED WANDA is an awkward title for a very funny film. John Cleese (who wrote and stars in, but does not direct this film) is back on form! If you like zany comedies, then you'll love this. Some of Cleese's earlier solo films were patchy (PRIVATES ON PARADE), and some were downright boring (CLOCKWISE), but here we see sustained, clever, inventive comedy. It simply gleams with wit!
The story line is straightforward, based on a gang of double-crossing jewel-thieves after a successful raid. The story is set in London, and it's a pleasure to see the care taken with the location shooting (apart from the final shot of the speeding car heading from the Old Bailey to Heathrow; why are you going via Oxford, John?) Some of the film editing is a bit clumsy, too (how does Michael Palin end up on the luggage conveyor at the airport?). Kevin Kline is superb as the ex-CIA hitman, sneering at the Brits.
The audience broke into spontaneous applause at the end of this film, and you don't hear that very often these days. A FISH CALLED WANDA is funny, contains sharp characterizations, and deserves to be an extraordinary success.
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