Hotel Paradiso

I never knew that Gina Lollobrigida and Alec Guinness had such knack for comedy. What a treat to see them in such a caper. This is a fast paced film with complex twists, interesting screenplay, endless surprises, good acting, and just great fun for the whole family. This is how comedies should be.

It's definitely true that this type of comedy probably still works out better in the theaters, with a live audience but still, this farce works out as an enjoyable and fun one.

Thing that I liked about this movie was that it was being perfectly silly. It really wasn't afraid to truly go over-the-top at times, with its characters and situations. Some of the comedy makes absolutely no sense in the context of the story but that actually made it all the more hilarious to watch. Yes, this truly is a movie that made me laugh a couple of times and therefore I can also do nothing else but to consider this movie a good and a successful one, at what it was trying to achieve.

You could definitely still complain about the story itself though. Of course its being quite simplistic but what is all the worst is that you are supposed to root for a man and woman who are cheating on their wife and husband. It felt a bit weird to me, no matter how obnoxious and uptight the wife and husband of the two were.

But still, this obviously isn't a movie you should take very seriously or think too much about. You should simply enjoy it for what is is and you should definitely be able to do so, thanks to its great comical situations and actors involved.

The acting is definitely really stagy-like but this obvious suits the genre and you will start to feel accustomed to it, after a few minutes in already. And Alec Guinness, Gina Lollobrigida, Robert Morley and all of the others really succeed in making their characters work out as greatly comical ones, who get themselves more and more into trouble, no matter how hard they try to get out of it.

This is very typical for a farce of course. It begins with a simple situation and setup but slowly and steadily things start to go from bad to worse for the characters, when more and more different characters show up, in the hotel Paradiso. The comedy even turns really slapstick at times which was definitely silly but still fun to watch at the same time.

It all made me laugh, so this movie definitely served its purpose well enough for me, though I can still recognize it as a not very great movie.

7/10

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Georges Feydeau was the master of French farce. In 1957, British director Peter Glenville brought his London adaptation of one of Feydeau's best to Broadway's intimate Henry Miller's Theatre for 108 successful performances with an all star cast that included the great Bert Lahr and Angela Lansbury.

Nine years later, the same Peter Glenville brought his superb adaptation to the screen for MGM with Alec Guinness in the Bert Lahr role and Gina Lollorigida bringing her all too seldom seen comic timing (check out her wonderful 1961 boulevard comedy "Come September" with Rock Hudson and Walter Slezak) to the Angela Lansbury role. Even Broadway cast member Douglas Byng (as Martin, a barrister) was along for the fun.

Of COURSE the plotting is "strained" - that is virtually the definition of farce - but the laughs flow without reservation.

Americans don't often get to see good European style farce which relies on situations, intellect and language as much as physical comedy. When we DO get a great farce like "Arsenic and Old Lace" or Noises Off", it is usually devoid of all sexual content - as if sex (not dirt, but good clean sex with all the ironies and insecurities attendant) weren't among the greatest sources of farcical situations.

Glenville gives us Feydeau at his most elegant - which is to say unashamedly sexual (with would-be adulterous spouses, potential lovers and innocents in a waltz of slamming doors and crowded corridors at the titular hotel), at the same time keeping the proceedings intrinsically moral and (for those foolish enough to care) absolutely clean.

The Belle Epoche settings fairly sing with civilized delight, and the brilliant farceurs like Robert Morley and Derek Fowlds (later known for his third lead in the brilliantly observed "Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister" TV series) join the leads in a collective tour de farce.

Watch for Glenville himself in the unbilled role of Feydeau, observing and "writing" the proceedings, but by all means watch. This is all a stage to film transfer should be. You'll have a lovely time and feel the better for it.

I have seen some plays by Feydeau performed by amateurs. Feydeau was a very good writer. He was familiar with the lack of morals in the upper crust society, and he could make people laugh at it. He knew because he belonged there himself. It's recorded that he had one or two mistresses himself!

In this film adaption of one of his more famous plays, the costumes and set designs are very good. The period feeling is impressive. The acting is so-so. Guiness has the best part and does the best acting. Others try hard, but the results feel half-baked. I blame this on the direction, or more likely the lack thereof.

Fans of classic farce, screwball comedy and periodic portraits will be delighted. A couple of in-jokes related to Feydeau's works can be found which will please literature scholars.

I really struggled to enjoy this... Despite the great casting, it just seemed to border all to frequently on the wrong side of farce for me. Basically, it all boils down to poor old Alec Guinness ("Boniface") stuck in an unhappy marriage with the formidable "Angelique" (Peggy Mount). This couple are neighbours to "Marcelle' (Gina Lollobrigida) who is married to "Henri" (Robert Morley), a husband who largely leaves her to her own devices. When "Angelique" goes to see her poorly sister and "Henri" has to go away for work - "Boniface" proceeds to confess his long-held, undying, love to "Marcelle" and suggests they decamp to the eponymous establishment for an hour or two's entertainment... What ensues now is a semi chaotic collection of almost slap-stick encounters that are frenetically paced, with relentless dialogue and more parallel themes than I could really be bothered to keep up with. Lollobrigida looks every inch her part, and Guinness is quite engaging as the rather ingenuous "Boniface" but the rest of it is just too shambolic for me. Looks great though, lots of great costumes, sets and vintage cars.