The Odd Couple (1968) Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5.0 stars
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler, Herb Edelman, David Sheiner, Larry Haines, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley Written by: Neil Simon Directed by: Gene Saks Running Time: 104 minutes
"You leave little notes on my pillow. I told you a million times I can't stand little notes on my pillow. 'We are all out of Corn Flakes - F.U.' It took me three hours to figure out that 'F.U.' was Felix Unger." --- A frustrated Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) running down a list of his complaints against his roommate Felix Unger (Jack Lemmon), in The Odd Couple.
The classic Neil Simon comedy (based on his own stage play) about suicidal Felix (Lemmon), who is persuaded by his poker friend Oscar (Matthau) to stay with him in his apartment after Felix's wife throws him out and files for divorce. The hook: Oscar is messy and likes his apartment that way, while Felix is an obsessive/compulsive neat freak. The two men, despite their friendship, instantly clash.
Movies just aren't as delightfully funny as this one is. Every line of Neil Simon's dialogue flows like comedic poetry, and all the actors are just perfect in their performances. Lemmon is at his best as the anxiety ridden Felix, but it's Matthau who shines brightest as Oscar, whose world is being invaded and rearranged, mostly against his wishes (the type of character I always enjoy identifying with). And who can forget that catchy score by Neal Hefti?
The best thing about the film (and this is a testament to the quality of the writing) is that it's a comedy with SUBSTANCE. These two men, even while at each other's throats, genuinely care for one another as friends. When they clash, it isn't cartoonish hatred being displayed, but genuine frustration with the fact that they are such good friends but just cannot manage to co-exist. Movies nowadays, take Grumpy Old Men for example, just don't have that extra spark there. These days it's just animosity for the sake of comedy.
A television series followed (starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall), which I'll admit I've never seen an episode of in its entirety, and Neil Simon even scripted the sequel, The Odd Couple II, which was released in 1998. Neither of them compare to this comic masterpiece though. It's one of the best comedies of all time and easily earns its spot in my top ten favorite films.
The Odd Couple is rated G.
Chuck Dowling - chuckd21@fdn.com AOL Instant Messenger: FilmJax The Jacksonville Film Journal - http://www.jaxfilmjournal.com/
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