Decent but disappointing

Rating: 6/10 (25 January 2003)

Sometimes classics live up to their reputations and sometimes they don't. This one didn't. It wasn't bad - some quite funny bits, likeable, never boring, but nothing outstanding, except perhaps in the subject matter. I've been watching a few Lubitsch movies recently and I ended up watching this one within a few days of watching Shop Around the Corner. I was struck by how much sharper and wittier "Shop" (which I felt was everything it was cracked up to be) was in comparison to To Be or Not To Be. Benny's character was a little too buffoonish, Lombard's character was a little too boring (though the first scene between Ehrhardt and the false Siletsky was excellent). Unfortunately, this film was just a little too over-the-top, silly, and conveniently plotted, without ever tapping into the fun of a real screwball comedy. Oh well...