BoodleH

Saw this movie last night and was sorely disappointed. I had just seen and enjoyed "I Love You Again" starring William Powell and Myrna Loy and wanted to see more of Powell's work. Well, he's great, and has a pretty well-written character in "My Man Godfrey," but, as someone else has pointed out here, the women's characters are two-dimensional. What a waste of female talent!

When I think of the screwball comedies that are really good, I think of "Bringing Up Baby," a film where both the male *and* the female leads had snappy dialogue and wonderfully written characters that had a native intelligence, not simply a childish persistence, such as Carole Lombard's Irene had in "My Man Godfrey."

And the dialogue ain't all that great, either. A lot of the laugh lines seemed to be Powell's sarcastic remarks which were too obvious and too many. The actors make the most of it that they can, but the lines just aren't good enough.

The plot also had holes in it, loose ends, and an unconvincing emotional throughline.

As for the social commentary on "the forgotten men," please. Actually it started out quite well with the uncomfortable scene in the city dump, but after that it seemed as if the writer wanted to take care of that issue with lip service. Why bring it up if you're not going to do it justice? Preston Sturgess managed to solidly and economically show us the dark side of human nature, yet still expertly weave in the nutty characters and big laffs.

I'm not one of those viewers who loves modern comedies like Adam Sandler stuff. I've been seeing these old films for decades. So don't consider this the commentary of someone who just doesn't "get it."

I'd advise people who want to see Powell to see him in "The Thin Man" or "I Love You Again" (and I'm sure there are more), and to get the best screwball comedy by checking out some of Katherine Hepburn's and Cary Grant's films, something with George S. Kaufman's name on it, or a Preston Sturgess film. I'm sure there are many more, and would love to see a comprehensive list of *really* good comedies of this genre someplace.

What I found fascinating about BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is its edginess, its ability to keep me off-balance, and the contradictory aspects of the film, including my own thoughts and feelings throughout.

Ambulances and emergency rooms are the ultimate vehicles and settings for life or death situations. Appropriate for this film. BOTD's characters are constantly crossing back and forth over the line of mortality. Some simply exist in both worlds simultaneously: We see the living dead, figuratively and, in the mind of Frank the ambulance driver, literally.

What about the characters' own desires? Frank nearly begs every day to be fired from his job, but his captain apologizes that he can't fire him. Noel the junkie begs for water even though it may kill him. Indeed, he begs to be killed, but nobody, not even his disease, seems to be able to help him out. He's brought into the emergency room every night, yet he's the liveliest character in the whole film.

Throughout the film, we're jarred between fantasy and reality. The frenetic, out of control "fantasy" sequences are easier to take than what would be considered real. Even the ghost that haunts and horrifies Frank looks charming. In the realm of reality, I found myself actually relieved by a traffic accident.

The black comedy is, well, black comedy. The humor sometimes seemed cheap, but it made sense in a situation where life is cheap. The cinematography and editing were expert, though seemingly over-the-top, unless one appreciates their contrast to the gritty, ugly reality that inspires it.

I had conflicting reactions to practically every character, wanted them to live and die. And even then, when I wanted them to die, it was often for their own good. For my own good as well? So I can stop the suffering… whose suffering? If you've seen the film, you'll know why this is particularly appropriate.

I have to say, though, that I have mixed feelings about the film itself. I appreciate the film because of its ability to make me aware of my feelings throughout, how complex emotions are, and how confounding the world can be. On the other hand, I realize that there were some emotions missing for me: love, for instance. I felt fear a lot. Anger, too. I felt tense, relieved. I laughed, I cringed, and I screamed at points. Occasionally I had time to feel sorry for some of the characters. But those moments were so fleeting. The film moved so fast that there was no time to settle into the sympathies that really engross me and tear me apart when watching a film. The intellectual engagement trumps the emotional engagement. And I can tell because that's what's stayed with me after leaving the theatre.

Is this what Scorsese intended? Was he saying that what was happening to me was happening to Frank the ambulance driver? If so, I would think the end would be more effective, that I would be affected as Frank was. Sadly, I wasn't. If that had been the case, I would call this a truly powerful film.

Not that I want to see a three-hanky picture, but I do want to experience all the emotions, so that I may examine them in myself, as well as on the screen.

Unless you're fragile when it comes to seeing violence and suffering, see this film.

I only tuned into this film for a few minutes, but it was worth it...to see the Supremes (from Detroit's Motown label) singing surfing songs. Anyone who knows the geography of Detroit and the color of the Supremes knows why this is so fascinating.

Of particular splendor is Diana Ross' hairdo -- a beehive with what I can only guess is supposed to be a "wave" on one side.