Marx Brother

Rating: 7/10 (16 November 2006)

A very funny movie using a classic comedic structure: disorienting word-play, getting the best of the bourgeois, zany and shocking - George S. Kaufmann (writer for the Marx Brothers) would be delighted. Sacha Baron Cohen is hysterical, and what a great moustache! But I prefer Charlie Kaufman. I think Carrey and Ferrell and Stiller are far more original and adventurous with their work, every bit as anarchic, and far less predictable. I found the hooker with a heart of gold especially disappointing. And I know films are now made to be ugly, but I can't resist the rant - Gondry makes beautiful images, Peter Sellers appreciated the artistry of what he was up to, and look at the Mr. Hulot films - very, very silly - yet stylish and masterfully shot. And then there's the magic of Chaplin and Keaton. Is this love of amateurish film-making just a fad, or is this all that American directors, inspired by HBO rather than theater, are capable of?