Product: Educating Rita (UK) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]
Rating: 5.0
Michael Caine and Julie Walters: a pair made in Heaven...
This is a very enjoyable comedy and Michael Caine has an odd presence here.What happens when a working class "babe" decides to go back to school and make a culture for herself and meets a disillusioned and highly drunk literature professor, meant to tutor her in this endeavor?This is just the premise of this little comedy.What else is there? Well, the fact that two worlds, at the opposite to each other start to merge through two completely different people.Like Tom and Jerry, Tweety and Sylvester, this is truly a Cat and Mouse game.But who is the cat and who, the mouse?Even better would be the comparison with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.What's up Doc?For American audiences it may be a bit difficult to understand, since Julie Walters plays in a rather tight British local accent, but the storyline is so well written, that the action alone flaws smoothly and is very understandable.Earlier, I said that Michael Caine plays an odd role. What I mean by that, is that until this picture was shot, he had always played ordinary people, such like in "Alfie", "Get Carter", "The Italian Job" etc.In this one he was making a leap forward, in quality and in skills.By the way, he plays a wonderful "sober" drunk.The entire story is a close parallel to "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw. The only difference is that it was quite updated, and while Professor Henry Higgins, would never truly mingle and socialize with members of the working class (it wouldn't even cross his mind to abase himself in doing so), our modern Henry Higgins does it.But not enough. While Eliza Dolittle in Pygmalion, "serves and adores" the Professor, the modern version is far more pragmatic and while she too admires the Professor, she quickly realizes that he is just a wreck and needs a touch of reality in his life.The entire picture is a delight, with bitter-sweet moments at times, but very hilarious moments throughout.The transfer in High Definition restores the picture to its original splendor, which even in theaters was never that brilliant. The sound is nothing special, being in plain two-channel Mono, but the dialogues are clear, and since the lines in such a picture are the most important element, this is fair enough.If you want to watch a true odd couple in action, then Michael Caine and Julie Walters are the couple you want.I can truly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.