Memorable, crazy movie

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

I get rid of American remake of brilliant European movies. Why not watch the original ? In this case the french movie is much more funny and also the actors are better chosen. And also the french title : "Un elephant SA -trompe- "énormément", contains such "finesse" that is impossible to translate in any other language. If you liked this movie, you never will enjoy an European movie. Just for the record; I'm a fan of Gene Wilder but he is so stupid and unbelievable The original is one of the best french comedies of the 20th century. pf this review is too long pf this review is too long don't know what ti write morepf this review is too long pf this review is too long don't know what ti write more

Content and married middle-aged businessman Teddy Pierce (a sound and appealing performance by Gene Wilder, who also wrote and directed) seems to have it all with his sweet wife (winningly played by Judith Ivey), good job, and several exceptionally loyal friends. However, Teddy's life goes topsy-turvy after he sees beautiful model Charlotte (flawlessly embodied by the ravishing Kelly LeBrock) and becomes obsessed with her. Wilder keeps the breezy story moving along at a zippy pace, maintains a likable lightweight tone throughout, nicely captures the awkwardness and frustration of the main character, and adroitly mines a pleasant line in good-natured screwball humor that culminates in a hilarious climax in which everything goes uproariously awry. Moreover, it's acted with zest by a game cast: Charles Grodin as the sarcastic Buddy, Joseph Bologna as exuberant horndog Joey, and Michael Huddleston as the tubby, jolly Mikey. Gilda Radner scores many of the biggest laughs as smitten and love-starved co-worker Mrs. Milner. Wilder warrants extra praise for handling a subplot about Buddy's closeted homosexuality with admirable taste and subtlety. Fred Schuler's slick cinematography provides an attractive bright sparkling look. Both the bouncy score by John Morris and a delightful array of choice songs by Stevie Wonder keep things bubbling along. A real hoot.

While this is an American film version of a foreign film, it seems more to be a rip-off of "10". Married Gene Wilder spots a beautiful woman (Kelly Lee Brock) and becomes obsessed with her. He basically spends 90 minutes humiliating himself, leading on a needy secretary (Gilda Radner, totally wasted), and making excuses to his devoted wife (Judith Ivey). Radner tries to be funny with her "Fatal Attraction" like revenge, but the material betrays her. Some good shots of mid 80's San Francisco and a series of pleasant songs by Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick (including the Academy Award Winning "I Just Called to Say I Love You") help make this a slight bit more tolerable, but the humor is juvenile, the set-up beyond believable, and the script (by Wilder) dull. A scene with one of Wilder's workers pretending to be blind in a restaurant and destroying it is a pale imitation of the similar scene in the W.C. Fields classic "It's a Gift" and totally out of place.As for LeBrock, she is certainly eye catching in the garage scene wearing the titular red dress, but is a beautiful block of ice otherwise. Wilder is a talented comic, but he seems to be holding back (strange considering he was directing himself speaking his own dialog!) and is definitely missing the partnership that shown on screen for him with Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor in previous ventures. Radner, one of the funniest women since Lucy, deserved much better in the few films she made, and her presence is a total missed opportunity. Ivey would fare better on stage and in later character roles where she was truly able to let herself go. Joseph Bologna and Charles Grodin are even more wasted as Wilder's cronies. With talent like this, you expect so much more.

If I were teaching a film course, I would show this disaster to start a discussion of why a film could be so bad. The story: Everyman type married guy with buddies who graduated with honors from stereotype school, is obsessed with a model (Kelly LeBrock) who looks like her plastic surgeon got badly distracted while stuffing her lips with some kind of very hard substance. Amazingly, he gets to first base, but... The story has been done many times, and this version is without surprises.The model is meant to induce more than mere desire. The audience has to feel her preternatural appeal for this movie to work. Unfortunately, she acts-and looks-like a robot. That kills the movie plot right there! Any redeeming features? No. No one has any witty lines. Gilda Radner would be funny, but her actions are too mean spirited to generate laughs.