Inconceivable

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2003)

"Ever heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons." This is one of the best pieces of comedic acting I think I've ever seen, partly because simply looking at this balding midget with the absurdly self assured smile can leave me in hysterics and also because of the sheer cheek of it all, the way he says it with a slight lisp and a raised eyebrow as if emulating someone much more handsome and suave than himself. And the timing is truly impeccable. Where is Wallace Shawn amongst the list of the comic greats? It is a true injustice that the man has not been seen as the god he is.
This film is full of the most wonderful characters; even the image of this cracked old guy, S. Morgenstern writing of pirates and giants in his senility is a wonderful one and I was loathe to admit he was fictional. I loved the idea of this audacious old guy writing a book doomed to obscurity only to be found and revered by this cool grandad (Columbo or Peter Faulk if we're going to get picky and I feel I should when discussing this film) and read to the kid from The Wonder Years (who was so rightly cast in everything in the late 80s, his face when he disgusted, inquires `Is this a kissing book?' is a picture of scornful perfection. How sad that all he is now is 'The Mole' in Austin Powers 3).
So Columbo tells the story of The Princess Bride and eventually the cynical kid becomes engrossed which is exactly how my love for this film started. Some things are severely hampered by their titles. Many, consider things beneath them simply from the name, and that's why people miss out on the joys of Buffy The Vampire Slayer which on the surface I'll admit looks like idle crap but is awash with surreal humor and endearing characters. Much in the same way, as a world-weary 11 year old I was wary of a film with the words Princess and Bride featuring so prominently in the title but as soon as I saw Andre The Giant (an idol of mine at the time) rhyming about peanuts and the hilarious swordfight (also wonderfully choreographed, swishy hand movements, acrobatics and all) I was won over. After watching it enough times to confidently quote it (`I'm not left handed either' whoever saw that coming?) it's become sort of a comfort blanket. I've grown to love Prince Humperdink and his shamelessly hysterical lack of morals and childish campery who expresses his displeasure with terrifying rage: `I should be very put out'.
But this film has depths I never really considered until my 20th viewing. for instance The Dread Pirate Roberts was real, I read about him as a little girl, he was the longest pirate ever to be marauding and this film nicely explains how (and I firmly believe that this explanation is accurate). It is also anti war (no, it is) as it thoroughly takes the piss out of creating wars `we're starting a war, it's a long and prestigious line of work' (or something to that effect, apparently i'm not as familiar with this as i believed... i'll just have to watch it again...) So, a political satire and historical account, too.
I do however have one quibble and it's a biggie... In the fire swamp they fall into a pit of sinking sand and the amount of debris on top varies from shot to shot. such oversights in continuity are simply unacceptable...

This film is charming and brilliant and incase I haven't hammered my point down quite hard enough yet. I love it. Oh! and this film contains the greatest line in film history (bonus points for featuring it more than once): "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!"
10/10, actually 9/10 for the continuity... ahem
Subtle and sweet spoofery at its best :)