The Prisoner of Second Avenue
March. 14,1975 PGMel Edison has just lost his job after many years and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age during an intense NYC heat wave.
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Reviews
Wonderful character development!
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Movies like the Prisoner of Second Avenue, from the mid-1970's, make us realize how much the world has changed. New York City was typical of the times with property crime, unemployment, recession, union strikes, power outages, etc. making people feel uncomfortable with the quality of everyday life. When Mel suddenly loses his job after 22 years with the same company, he suffers from the anxiety of a man trying to find an explanation. Going over the edge, he takes to shouting mild expletives from his balcony at the prim and proper neighbours overhead. In those day, words like ass and hell were considered unfit for public use. Mel gets a bucket of water thrown at him for using such language within the earshot of children. The repartee between Edna and Mel is funny and off the wall but not nearly as much as the baby boom humour of the 1970's was to people at the time. The acting of Jack Lemmon as Mel and Anne Bancroft as Edna is outstanding although the lines have lost their zing. His tirades against the world and the plot against the working class is much less targeted than today's politics and the world of the one per cent. In those days, people were lashing out; now they want action against the rich, against ISIS, Not only have times changed but we don't joke about more sinister crimes like mass shootings, or attacks and bombings against innocents by groups far more dangerous than muggers and burglars. Traditional crime is down, only now replaced by fear of more serious crime. One amusing scene shows Mel chasing a young Sylvestre Stallone across the lawns and terraces of Central Park. Eventually Mel tackles and brings down the guy he sees as a young punk. A victory for him against the forces of evil? It is interesting to see his response. It is also informative to see how the couple come to terms with the changed circumstances.
Neil Simon's writing at its best is epitomized in this 1975 film with the psychoses, neuroses of urban living together in a New York heat wave to give its protagonist, Jack Lemmon, a nervous breakdown, after he loses his executive position.Lemmon is terrific as the eventual malcontent finally blaming society for his woes. He is most ably assisted by Edna, played deliciously by the always superb Anne Bancroft.Frustration is the center core of this entertaining film, and also an excellent supporting performance by Gene Saks, as the supposed stable older brother of Lemmon who exposes his frustrations at the end of the film. Another case of sibling rivalry, but on a loving scale.Urban frustrations abound in a very decent film.
THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE is perfection. Jack Lemmon's heartbreaking performance is remarkable. He captures brilliantly what every man of a certain age (and I am now in that category) must endure. He is the avatar to all 40-50 something males-through Lemmon and his performance we see ourselves . While its primarily a comedy-it is also a sublime adventure. We are seeing our lives through Mel's eyes-and for 1 and 3 quarter hours we are on a white knuckle ride through middle age-his pain, suffering, denial, his feeling of life kicking him in his sagging butt-are uniquely felt. Its a atharsis as we endure lifes lessons and ultimately-like life itself-come out of its inevitability smiling at the end-knowing that we have no other choice but to live life-not drown in it. This is Neil Simons masterpiece. Beautifully written it blows the artificiality of the later THE GOODBYE GIRL out of the water. The atrocious, shrill ONLY WHEN I LAUGH really put the nail in the coffin of Simons once amazing career. I count THE ODD COUPLE , THE HEARTBREAK KID , MURDER BY DEATH and of course PRISONER as some of my alltime favorites. And yet GOODBYE and LAUGH garnered nominations in categories PRISNER were denied-Actor, Actress, Screenplay and Picture at the Oscars. Our foundling fathers-the British recognized Anne Bancrofts hilarious performance as Best Actress at their BAFTA awards. She is very much Lemmons equa in this. They are Mel and Edna-they are the old married couple they portray. A separate shout out to Marvin Hamlish-his melancholy score is the score to my life. Its elegant , simple notes add up to one of the best scores-ever. Its a shame that it never made it to cd (nor album)-it is exquisite. In every area-acting, writing, scoring, AVENUE succeeds magnificently. As added touches that enhance the viewing-it is a perfect time capsule for Manhattan circa the 70s. You feel and taste it.Amazingly evocative of its times. Highly recommended-this movie takes no PRISONERs-it engulfs everyone.
Sorry people, this is marred by predictability and over-the-top acting. And, in 1975 could a humble clerk really have lived like that, when today you have to be practically a millionaire to live in a flat like that? Would even a nutty lady as played by Bancroft REALLY have left the door open, and could the robbers really have taken so much stuff in 5 minutes, and in broad daylight? The house is full of books, but just for show 'cuz these two obviously are not great readers. I usually don't leave the room till the films finished, but since I intuited EXACTLY what was going to happen, I came here to write these words. If you got hooked by this, more power to you; compare this to the sophisticated comedies of the thirties and forties, and you'll see what I mean.Both of these actors were capable of far better efforts, but I'll give it a four just so I don't get lynched. :~)