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Movies Forum Index » Movie Reviews Forum » Retrospective: Mister Buddwing (1966)...
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| Jerry Saravia... |
 Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:36 pm |
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MISTER BUDDWING (1966)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Three stars and a half
If there is one kind of story I love, it is the tale of the wandering
amnesiac. Though hardly the best example of it, "Mister Buddwing" is a
solid tale of anxiety and helplessness, at least for 3/4 of the way
through.
James Garner, in a rare and dramatic performance, is walking around
Central Park in New York, unaware of who he is or where he comes from.
The first shot of the film shows his point of view, which is
deliberate skewed as he tries to focus on the New York City skyline
and eventually looks at his hands. He carries a ring with an
inscription that reads "From GV." He also has a phone number and calls
it, not knowing who will answer. Someone named Gloria (Angela
Lansbury) has the number, and Mr. Anonymous arrives at her residence.
She doesn't know him and he certainly doesn't recognize her, so you
could say the plot thickens. He gives himself the name Sam Buddwing,
due to a Budweiser truck and an airplane he spots. Nothing of his past
or any memories are triggered until he sees a woman (Katharine Ross)
sitting on a bench. Could she be the elusive Grace, his wife?
"Mister Buddwing" develops efficiently with an effortless, driving
rhythm - you want to see where Mister Buddwing is going and where he
will end up. The city of New York has been used in many films but,
here, it has the nightmarish, black-and-white power of noir pictures
like "The Naked City" or even one set in London, the fantastic "Night
and the City." The city seems mysterious and in certain shots
overlooking a bridge or on city streets, even desolate and
frightening. Director Delbert Mann ("Marty") and cinematographer
Ellsworth Fredericks really capture the intensity and emotional
emptiness of a city that could care less if you are amnesiac. A
handful of hand-held camera shots (a cliche in this day and age) and
the documentary feel of city life, especially when Buddwing has a
headache and seems to ready to fall on the pavement, are wonderfully
captured. There are exquisitely handled scenes in cafes and hotels
that are done with remarkable restraint, again imploring us to find
out little clues about Buddwing.
Unfortunately, by the time we find out what is really going on with
Buddwing and discover his true identity, we feel cheated. I wouldn't
dream of giving it away but it is less than revealing and somehow
negates the buildup that we have invested in for almost an hour and a
half. It is not a bad finish but it is an anticlimactic one.
As I have mentioned, "Mister Buddwing" belongs in the tradition of my
favorite kind of stories - a man searching for his identity. What is
great about such a story, especially one involving an amnesiac, is
that the filmmakers can exploit this idea and pursue it in any manner
they wish. We learn he may be a music composer and we do know his wife
is named Grace, or do we. Those kind of unclear questions and search
for identity could've gone in any direction, and by the time we get to
a backroom alley of poker with Jean Simmons as a true floozie, we
begin to wonder what strange, hypnotic walk we are gazing upon. The
movie is terrific and Garner is in fine form, as is Katharine Ross,
Suzanne Pleshette and Jean Simmons. But such a strange, fun ride to
the dark side could've benefitted from a truly climactic finish
instead of the one we are saddled with. See it but try to forget the
ending.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at:
http://www.geocities.com/faustus_08520/Jerry_at_the_Movies.html
BIO on the author of this page at:
http://www.geocities.com/faustus_08520/index.html
Email me at Faust668 at (no spam) msn.com or at faustus_08520 at (no spam) yahoo.com |
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