If you're feeling down, don't watch this movie! Blake Edwards, known to most for his great comedy films, takes us on a dark and terrifying journey into the life of two alcoholics. I have never seen a more realistic portrayal of the human condition on the silver screen.
Jack Lemmon plays Joe Clay, at once a likeable and dislikeable character. As the viewer, you sympathize with his plight, yet you realize he only has himself to blame for it. And his famous scenes inside the greenhouse and the detox tank were so realistic as to be painful. What I think is most remarkable about his acting in these scenes is he sounds like a boy- a lost, confused, enraged, helpless child.
This is a film that pulls you in so deeply that you feel drained by the time it ends. Not to give anything away, but I think the ambiguous ending is the only one that was acceptable here. All in all, a great film, and a masterful performance by one of the best, most well-rounded actors of all time. The role of Joe Clay is is one of those roles, along with Felix Ungar (no disrespect to Art Carney) that only Jack Lemmon could do so well. He is truly a treasure of American cinema.
Jack Lemmon plays Joe Clay, at once a likeable and dislikeable character. As the viewer, you sympathize with his plight, yet you realize he only has himself to blame for it. And his famous scenes inside the greenhouse and the detox tank were so realistic as to be painful. What I think is most remarkable about his acting in these scenes is he sounds like a boy- a lost, confused, enraged, helpless child.
This is a film that pulls you in so deeply that you feel drained by the time it ends. Not to give anything away, but I think the ambiguous ending is the only one that was acceptable here. All in all, a great film, and a masterful performance by one of the best, most well-rounded actors of all time. The role of Joe Clay is is one of those roles, along with Felix Ungar (no disrespect to Art Carney) that only Jack Lemmon could do so well. He is truly a treasure of American cinema.