Minor Complaint
In the latest New Yorker, critic David Denby discusses the first film Billy Wilder directed, The Major And The Minor.
Here's the premise: Ginger Rogers has given up on New York but doesn't have the money to get back to the Midwest. She poses as a 12-year old to pay half fare. On the train, she makes a friend of army man Ray Milland, but gets him in trouble with his fiance. She stops off at the academy where he works to help him out. She falls in love but can't reveal her true age.
Denby says "the story doesn't 'work' anymore," and this kind of farce is "excruciatingly square" in a post-Lolita age.
I have news for Mr. Denby. This farce is still one of the most charming and funny films Wilder ever made. I've seen it on TV and in a packed theatre, and I can guarantee, it not only works, it also "works."
posted by LAGuy @ 12:09 AM
3 Comments:
It's a very funny film. I don't know what this guy is talking about. I guess he wants everyone to know how clever he is.
Why do they even let David Denby write? Anthony Lane's reviews-even of minor forgettable movies-are so enjoyable thats its such a let-down to see that Denby bylin in the Cinema section.
On the main point, I think Denby was trying to make a point of how standards change (duh) and got himself all turned around trying to be clever
Denby suffers from what a common film critics' disease (especially those heavily influenced by Pauline Kael)--rather than review a film (especially on its own terms) he condescends to it.
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