Now, I'm a big fan of Billy Wilder's films. Sunset Boulevard and The Apartment are 2 of my most favorite films. His movies have such completeness in them. They make you laugh a lot and cry a little and at the end you feel a unique sense of satisfaction that will make you say "They don't make 'em like they used to!" because no matter how many times you have watched his films you would still plan on watching them again someday; at least that is how I feel about Billy Wilder's films. They don't get old. They are classics.
However, with "Buddy Buddy", although I did enjoy it, I find that it doesn't compete with the other films of Billy Wilder and I would personally say it's his weakest. Having watched all of Billy Wilder's films (with the exception of Mauvais graine and The Emperor Waltz) and developed a profound appreciation and understanding of his works, I was disappointed after I watched this one. The feeling was very unusual, like a feeling I never had after watching a Billy Wilder movie. I was used to being really satisfied after viewing but with this Billy Wilder feature, I was disappointed.
In retrospect, I can see the main thing that hurt the film is in the writing of the film. It is very unusual for the writer pairing of Wilder and Diamond to strike out given that in all of their films that I have watched, I have observed that the strongest aspect in them is how well they were written. Wilder's films are not mainly known for their and visuals but it is with their screenplays, that they became great and beloved movies. But unfortunately in this outing, it is the writing that's become the main flaw of the movie. The screenplay by Wilder and Diamond seemed very raw and incomplete. It doesn't have the usual amount of laughs and/or cynicism (usually plentiful). The movie's length is also shorter than the usual Billy Wilder film and even with that fact, the film still feels dragging because there isn't enough striking and memorable moments in it and the few that it has are too far apart to make a really engaging film as expected by a fan like me. They are mostly placed in the beginning and last part of the film, the middle part of the movie I thought was very forgettable. In contrast, other outputs from the director never seemed to run out fuel. They may have a few lapses but they keep you entertained until the end. This unfortunately is not the case for Billy Wilder's "Buddy Buddy" which is the least I liked among his films.
While I was disappointed with the film more so because I'm a big Billy Wilder fan and I had a high expectation with the film, I believe that the film still has merits and is still very watchable. You can still enjoy the performance of the two leads, Matthau and Lemmon whose comedic pairing is one of best in movie history. Although this was a weak outing for the creators, just to see the two in the same movie is worthwhile and the story is actually good. Plus it is still a film directed by Wilder, though a very flawed one, it still contains glimpses of comedy genius fans are used to. A moment in "Buddy Buddy" that perhaps redeemed the film for me is the end scene. It reminded me of the great end scene from Some Like It Hot which is greatly satisfying. With this film, the end scene was sort of a revelation for me, of the level it could have achieved hadn't it been half baked and incomplete. There were a lot of potentials for this project if probably Wilder and Diamond did have more time to polish the script and pace it even better. But even if they never came to fruition and the movie leaves so much more to be desired, if I were to choose the least of Wilder or none of Wilder, I would not hesitate to choose to watch this movie. This movie is still enjoyable and is good for some laughs.
FINAL WORD: If you have not seen a movie by Billy Wilder or you are just starting to get through his filmography, watch "Buddy Buddy", you are more likely to enjoy the film than those who are Wilder aficionados. If you are a Billy Wilder fan with high expectations, do not be surprised, chances are you will be disappointed because it is unlike his other films. You may not be fully satisfied with this cup of coffee. Perhaps considering it as an encore for the great films Billy Wilder has given us can make the viewing more satisfying.
However, with "Buddy Buddy", although I did enjoy it, I find that it doesn't compete with the other films of Billy Wilder and I would personally say it's his weakest. Having watched all of Billy Wilder's films (with the exception of Mauvais graine and The Emperor Waltz) and developed a profound appreciation and understanding of his works, I was disappointed after I watched this one. The feeling was very unusual, like a feeling I never had after watching a Billy Wilder movie. I was used to being really satisfied after viewing but with this Billy Wilder feature, I was disappointed.
In retrospect, I can see the main thing that hurt the film is in the writing of the film. It is very unusual for the writer pairing of Wilder and Diamond to strike out given that in all of their films that I have watched, I have observed that the strongest aspect in them is how well they were written. Wilder's films are not mainly known for their and visuals but it is with their screenplays, that they became great and beloved movies. But unfortunately in this outing, it is the writing that's become the main flaw of the movie. The screenplay by Wilder and Diamond seemed very raw and incomplete. It doesn't have the usual amount of laughs and/or cynicism (usually plentiful). The movie's length is also shorter than the usual Billy Wilder film and even with that fact, the film still feels dragging because there isn't enough striking and memorable moments in it and the few that it has are too far apart to make a really engaging film as expected by a fan like me. They are mostly placed in the beginning and last part of the film, the middle part of the movie I thought was very forgettable. In contrast, other outputs from the director never seemed to run out fuel. They may have a few lapses but they keep you entertained until the end. This unfortunately is not the case for Billy Wilder's "Buddy Buddy" which is the least I liked among his films.
While I was disappointed with the film more so because I'm a big Billy Wilder fan and I had a high expectation with the film, I believe that the film still has merits and is still very watchable. You can still enjoy the performance of the two leads, Matthau and Lemmon whose comedic pairing is one of best in movie history. Although this was a weak outing for the creators, just to see the two in the same movie is worthwhile and the story is actually good. Plus it is still a film directed by Wilder, though a very flawed one, it still contains glimpses of comedy genius fans are used to. A moment in "Buddy Buddy" that perhaps redeemed the film for me is the end scene. It reminded me of the great end scene from Some Like It Hot which is greatly satisfying. With this film, the end scene was sort of a revelation for me, of the level it could have achieved hadn't it been half baked and incomplete. There were a lot of potentials for this project if probably Wilder and Diamond did have more time to polish the script and pace it even better. But even if they never came to fruition and the movie leaves so much more to be desired, if I were to choose the least of Wilder or none of Wilder, I would not hesitate to choose to watch this movie. This movie is still enjoyable and is good for some laughs.
FINAL WORD: If you have not seen a movie by Billy Wilder or you are just starting to get through his filmography, watch "Buddy Buddy", you are more likely to enjoy the film than those who are Wilder aficionados. If you are a Billy Wilder fan with high expectations, do not be surprised, chances are you will be disappointed because it is unlike his other films. You may not be fully satisfied with this cup of coffee. Perhaps considering it as an encore for the great films Billy Wilder has given us can make the viewing more satisfying.