The Fortune Cookie

The Vikings should have punted

I was looking forward to this movie for a long time and it lived up to expectations. I wish things tied up neater in the end but I enjoyed all the moving parts from the different character motivations. So close to perfection if it reached a little further. Walter Matthau's lawyer character was way too savvy to be bugged, but why's he doing so poorly? What was with the lame check-tearing/complaint threatening final scene? Fav scene: when Boom Boom picks up the wife in his car.

It's amusing, and Walter Matthau is great (even if he reminds me a bit too much of Richard Nixon at times), but there's something kind of oppressive about it. It has the cynicism and bitterness of some of Wilder's other films but without anything for us to latch on to as the main character is only going through with the scheme out of some pathetic attempt to get back with a woman who doesn't love him. It has its moments and I appreciate Wilder's cynicism even when it doesn't completely work.

(Viewed on 09/01/11): An underrated Wilder marking Lemmon and Matthau's first on-screen collaboration, T.F.C isn't a masterpiece exactly, but it's the best film he made during his early decline period, right before he fell off the cliff. Lemmon plays the usual straight man, but it was his stock in trade and he did it well. Matthau shines in his breakout comedic role as a shyster lawyer who specialises in insurance fraud, and there is a bitter edge to the humour that keeps it fresh.

The amazing comedy and shining drama that sets Billy Wilder apart from other writer/directors only seep through in the occasional scene, but it's still something I don't regret watching.

Suffers from an unsatisfactory ending and two weak performances from Ron Rich and Judi West, but the screenplay is witty, Lemmon is fine as usual, and Matthau dominates the film in his first great comic performance as "Whiiplash Willy" Gringrich, a shyster lawyer who specializes in insurance fraud. Watch for the great character actor Sig Ruman in his final performance as Professor Winterhalter, the only medical professional who sees through the scam.

Another charmer from Billy Wilder. I lap this stuff up with a spoon

Wilder, Lemmon and Matthau is always a guaranteed good time. Ron Rich was great here too. Very quirky characters.

Classic.

Wilder's comedy doesn't rank among his masterpieces, but his sure, seasoned hand keeps it brisk and dependably amusing with just enough perfectly executed moments to reinforce the theory that he was one of the finest filmmakers of his era. The exasperated everyman role was already old hat to Lemmon by this point. He plays it well, but its Matthau who dominates the film, playing his stock character as a cheerful soft shoe instead of resorting to easy aggression.

A decent comedy from Billy Wilder. Worth a look.

wilder'ın en düz filmlerinden birisi.

Viewed January 4, 2020.

I always forget I've seen this movie. It'll pop up on Turner Classic, and I'll DVR it, or it'll call at me from a shelf at the public library, and I'll be all, "hey, the first Lemmon-Matthau movie! The one directed by Billy Wilder! I've always wanted to see that." Then I'll watch it, and remember I've seen it half a dozen times and loved it.

Biting Wilder comedy. Matthau's Oscar-winning performance hits home.

84.50

84.000

A fun little comedy boasting Wilder's wit and Lemmon's charm, but it's Matthau who steals the show as a despicable and hilarious shyster.

Em honra do centenário de I.A.L. Diamond. Como usual na parceria Wilder/Diamond este filme é um deleite, embora não seja obra-prima como boa parte de seus trabalhos, mas vale ainda mais por ser o início da estelar parceria nas telas entre Lemmon e Matthau. HDTVRip no MakingOff.

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon work well together in there first pairing. The script is mostly predictable but the performances make up for the average script. Overall I would recommend this film.