Maybe He Was Making Up His Lines

Don't ask me why, but here's a review on the internet (there aren't many) of the movie version of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite. (The director, by the way, is an acquaintance of mine, Arthur Hiller.)

The film, which came out in 1971, is no classic. For that matter, I'm not a huge fan of the play. Also, it's an anthology, which generally doesn't work on film. On top of which, it was an odd decision to have Walter Matthau play all three male leads while Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Harris and Lee Grant split up the female parts. (On stage Stapleton played all the women and George C. Scott the men.)

Anyway, I'm not gonna be too troubled by someone not loving the film. Still, this bothers me:

All I can say is thank God for Matthau, who frequently elevates this movie above its mediocre script.

Matthau is a funny guy, no question. But even if he were at his best here, let's remember Plaza Suite, written by one of the top comedy writers of our time while in his prime, was a huge hit on Broadway and continues to be performed successfully around the world. The screenplay, adapted by Simon himself, sticks pretty closely to the original. Maybe it's not the greatest script, and maybe it doesn't work as well on screen, but come on, the idea that Matthau is somehow saving what doesn't otherwise work is silly.