A fish called wanda is about a planned robbery that goes wrong and unfolds into a comic parody relief of betrayal and greed.
John cleese as the lawyer Archie Leach is the caricature all repressed" englishman who has a mediocre life in an uneventful marriage who becomes the pawn of seduction for wanda gerstwitz to get back her locket key that has access to the stolen loot.
John cleese parades with irony, apparently living a repressed life and begins to see in wanda an escape from the dredges of his daily existence.
This is one of kevin kline's best roles, john cleese's character plays the ordinary english man with bouts of sarcastic irony,[consistent with many of the roles he plays] in his desire to be released from the dreary expectations and routine of his surroundings.
otto west,[kevin kline, is the stereotyped witless american, overtly patriotic, who is self deluded and "stupid. his antics throughout the film bring in that refreshing antidote when in the midst of the double dealing and betrayal in the robbery gang, farcically tips over a tongue in cheek, but friendly english versus american stereotype showdown between these two characters who make fun of eachother's nationality which intrudes vague elements of truth through the form of effective comic relief and parody.
the characters are flawless in their depictions that infuse valuable substance and depth to a plot that may seem standard or ordinary at first gaze.
The movie receiving critical acclaim and great commercial success, demands us to view what elements make this film a hit.
1 characterization
kline and cleese make a great combination. the brash un political correct stance of english versus american stereotypes really made an impression on the audiences who have been accustomed in their real life engagements and experiences, this rift of stereotypical polarisations that plagued relationships between the american and the english and has also been a source of more amicable comic friendly engagements, such as what we have seen represented in the two characters of cleese and kline. the bold anglophobe antics of kline is a breaking refreshment in the film which breaks down all facades in the film, so that he lays his bare breast best whilst parading himself as an intellectual when he is really someone who lacks fundamental logic and has a unhealthy love for nihilism philosophy. This contrast is a hilarious paradox" and a very effective characterisation pushing substance in each proceeding frame of this quality film.
the comic interplay of these stereotypes lightened these cultural stereotypes in a tongue in cheek engagement and has literally summarised the dialogue of future engagements of these two cultures in how they perceive eachother and how they can learn to laugh off their differences and call everything a spade.
good comedy always implements real life into a comic interplay and this is the source of identification so valuable to comedy
2 sense of adventure
Every good film has a sense of adventure that literally engages the audience to come along and enjoy .
3 great scenes, ques and antidotes.
The parody classic of trying to kill the witness by making it seem accidentally is a classic que that is repeated and reinforced in the film.
the film steers into the area of suspense and anticipation in the unfolding folly that eventuates.
the sense of irony is created in the film that compliments the farcical comedy, when greed and desperation take a life on its own and it is in this light, like the movie rat race, which allows the plot to create characters acting according to greed, a great message, but also a superb platform to elevate the golden character interactions between kline, cleese, michael palin[with the speech impediment] a simple but effective farcical skit. jamie lee curtis as the con artist into a growing crescendo of growing farcical climax that is reached in the end.
john cleese's ravings in apologising to cleese in one scene, epitomises the ensuring conflict between these two characters.
although their is no real message at the end of the film as their feels like a disengaged conflict romantically when curtis's character ends up with whoever won the seat in the plane. however the film reinforces the insincere romantic conviction that culminates after a heist of stolen diamonds.
this film's success continued with the making of a new film playing most of the same characters as the first.
it seems the consensus believed in a great sequel to the continuation of these characters as a formula of a good film and they were not wrong.
fierce creations was not such a commercial success but is a film i have thoroughly enjoyed and have watched over and over again and kline plays perfectly the austere and ruthless billionaire who cares little for his son. it felt like the characters were a family and that vibe rubs off onto you from the screen.
a fish called wanda
8/10
see it now.
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