|
The Little Murders Elliott Gould as Alfred  Marcia Rodd as Patsy  Directed by Alan Alarkin, best known for his acting career, the film is about Alfred, a man who feels nothing emotionally or physically and he takes photos of poop. One day Patsy, meets Alfred, falls for him, and is determined to "fix" him. Patsy takes Alfred home to meet her dysfunctional family, they get married, and everything's normal, like the totally normal events of a brawl at their wedding, random people being shot, electricity blackouts, garbage strikes, etc. If you haven't guessed this is a black comedy. It was written by Jules Feiffer, originally as a play and later adapted to the screen because Elliott Gould really wanted to make it one. It came out to mixed reception, but one of the reviews I really like for the film is by Siskel, "a mean little comedy that made me laugh and then think, 'God, how could I laugh at that.'" Which sums it up really well. It's got a great cast, including Donald Sutherland in a bit part as the reverend who oversees Alfred and Patsy's wedding. Alan Arkin also has a role in the film as a detective investigating the random shootings that keep happening. It's free on youtube, so hell yeah. Go watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piiUJV-dFEo
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2023 18:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 13:03 |
|
|
liked this a lot, even in the third act when everything really goes off the rails. it's a movie that's made by its performances, which are all bonkers good. the ending's also fantastic. i was laughing really hard in the first half and then suddenly all my laughter dried up and i couldn't look away.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2023 03:50
|
|
|
Wow, thanks for recommending this. This is definitely one of those films unto itself which defy easy categorisation (a good thing to me). I wasn't sure what to expect and sure got a lot of that. It's kinda like an American Pinter play except twisted to absurdist satirical extremes, so got a nice feeling of validation when the credits stated it was based on a stage play. (Sorry, MZ, I'd completely forgotten your overview blurb.) There's an overwhelming amount of stuff to unpack in here. Far too much for my simple head to make coherent; that could be the point. Familial and societal expectations and roles, rebellion in various means, the spiels of and against modern law, justice, religion, consumerist art, and the inter-generational divide. I'm somewhat sure there's allegories about the JFK assassination amongst the madness. Overall I think I liked it. Doubly so if I indulge the thought that this was all real and just what Elliot Gould's daily life is like. ynohtna fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Nov 12, 2023 |
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2023 14:34
|
|
|
Watched this with some friends last night and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one that enjoyed it. That said, I loved it. It's so manic for the first two thirds it's almost exhausting, gets serious, then builds its way back up to fantastic final line/freeze frame. Marcia Rodd was especially great in this.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2023 13:50
|
|
|
Oh I watched this like a week ago. Gruelling, but in a way where I couldn't look away. Oh, God, I can't remember the last time I hated a character like I hated his parents, just the total refusal to engage on anything other than a clinical level. Alfred is a man totally at peace with the world, but being at peace with the sort of world he lives in is profoundly horrifying. And it makes you long for someone who'll push back against it, but Patsy is that person and it doesn't seem to bring her any satisfaction either. Might make a decent double-feature with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Everything in the church ruled.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2023 08:58
|
|
