O Negócio é Sobreviver

I can't believe the reviews from these Roger Ebert wannabes that tear it down; it wasn't supposed to make a statement or have a sound plot --- it's a COMEDY, you idiots! The numerous one-liners in this movie are priceless, and if you can't appreciate how enjoyable it is, you've gotten way too serious about movies, folks. Its humor has withstood the test of time and it's a solid 7 of 10. This is one of Williams and Matthau's funniest and well worth your time. Would you believe that I never noticed that Robin flashed his genitals in the hospital scene until my wife saw it for the first time and pointed it out --- women have a heckuva radar for those things!

I gave it a 8 , and my wife thought it was a 6. Then this film must be a 7. If you have ever been hit by hard luck, one can relate with these characters. Robin Williams, when he was at his funniest, performs this rambling nonsense. Especially when he tells the events of the robbery to his fiancee, does a tv counterpoint (ie there would be no criminals if there were no victims, unless the criminals robbed other criminals, but I am diluting here) and acts out a gun battle. Walter Matthau plays the crabby straight guy who tries to fix events. Small role for Jerry Reed, watch the gas station scene; it's funny. Comedy is so hard to do, it's an art, much easier to make a horror film or action movie, but to get comedy right you have too hit a groove. This film does it!

Young upper management executive Donald (Williams) gets canned as part of a restructuring. With his mind occupied by that he quite accidentally leaves a sizable gasoline spill outside a petrol station/auto shop just before its crotchety old proprietor Sonny (Mathau) tosses a stale cancer stick. After that Sonny no longer owns a petrol station/auto shop. Neither man really sees the other or knows what really happened.

These suddenly desperate sad-sacks converge on the local unemployment office whilst Jack (Reed) - one other more desperate yet decidedly more volatile individual is also there. At a nearby diner, while Donald and Sonny are sulking after a miserable day at the mercy of the federal bureaucracy, Jack shows up with a loaded gun and tries to rob the place. Jack has been pushed too far which results in his pushing Donald and Sonny too far. They foil the robbery but Donald is shot. Jack easily orchestrates his getaway.

Becoming cause celebres for their daring good deed in the incident doesn't help Donald or Sonny. The media ridicules them. Worse, Jack gets their names from the news reports and goes hunting after them as Sonny struggles through odd jobs and Donald alienates his fiancé by going to live at a survivalist camp. Tracking Donald to the camp by threatening Sonny, Jack is determined to finally silence both of the odd couple friends. Donald - exhilarated by the whole experience craves a final confrontation.

The film starts quite well to hook the viewer but most of the truly funny material is to be found at the beginning. By the middle it lags and lingers as gaping plot holes remain. The final thirty minutes are mostly unwatchable in the run-up to a nonsensical conclusion. They appeared to be looking for absolutely anything with which they could fashion a satisfactory conclusion for the final cut.

the "survivors" is absolutely one of the finest comedies i've come across. never is williams better than when playing the deluded idiot, and this is his finest hour in that persona. matthau's opposite, more reserved approach works perfectly to temper williams' madness. and jerry reed is fantastic as the hit man who may or may not have been responsible for teamster boss jimmy hoffa's disappearance. i must urge those (and there are many) who consider this classic to be a turkey to give it another chance.

This is classic Robin Williams! The plot is full of holes and overall it's fairly pointless, but this movie makes me laugh and grin no matter how many times I watch it. The best scenes take place in a snowy New England forest, and the movie does an awesome job of capturing the atmosphere.