A Fish Called Wanda (DVD)

...and secondly, I found it a bit tedious (Like many I imagine) to continue to read review about the same thing over and over again while still remaining unbiased and I felt I couldn’t expect anyone else to do so with any more gusto then I could muster up.

Imagine my surprise then, when I discover, this week’s product is the ultimate comedy classic A Fish Called Wanda – a film that I have seen many, many times and can never run out of ...
...poor Wanda virgins, enjoy just a tiny glimpse into the film classic that is “A Fish Called Wanda”.

Director: Charles Crichton
Writers: John Cleese and Charles Crichton
Actors: John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Tom Georgeson
Cinema Release Date: October 1988
Genre: Comedy
Classification: 15+
Runtime: 108 minutes
Awards: Kevin Kline - Oscar for best actor John ... more

I have avoided reviewing the product of the week for two reasons: Firstly, I never felt I really had any invested interest in the products that were available each week and secondly, I found it a bit tedious (Like many I imagine) to continue to read review about the same thing over and over again while still remaining unbiased and I felt I couldn’t expect anyone else to do so with any more gusto then I could muster up.

Imagine my surprise then, when I discover, this week’s product is the ultimate comedy classic A Fish Called Wanda – a film that I have seen many, many times and can never run out of things to say about it.

So for all you poor Wanda virgins, enjoy just a tiny glimpse into the film classic that is “A Fish Called Wanda”.

Director: Charles Crichton
Writers: John Cleese and Charles Crichton
Actors: John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Tom Georgeson
Cinema Release Date: October 1988
Genre: Comedy
Classification: 15+
Runtime: 108 minutes
Awards: Kevin Kline - Oscar for best actor John Cleese - Oscar nomination for best original screenplay, John Cleese and Michael Palin – BAFTA awards for their roles and another 5 industry wins and 13 nominations
RRP: £22.99 (Special Edition at WHSmith) CD-Wow Price: £12.99

The Gist of it…
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Wanda and her secret lover, Otto travel to England where they meet with Wanda’s (not secret) boyfriend George and stuttering Ken with a plan to steal £20million worth of diamonds.

The plan then takes a drastic turn when Wanda and Otto, deciding to keep the stash for themselves, report George and Ken to the police only to find out George and Ken had also deviated from the original plan and have hidden the diamonds.

In a bid to discover their where-a-bouts, Wanda cosies up to George’s barrister, Archie Leach, thinking if George were to plead guilty in an attempt to reduce his sentence, he would have to tell Leach where the diamonds are.

Who is Charles Chrichton?
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“People think that if you are directing comedy, you have to be funny. On the contrary, you have to be serious.”

Born in 1910 Crichton was born into an unconventional family, which supported his decision to pursue film as a career. He joined London Films as Assistant Editor in 1932 where he graduated to Editor within 3 years. By 1940 Crichton, now working at Ealing Studios was recognized as the best in the business and in 1944 Crichton was given his first film to direct, For Those in Peril. The comedic twist he gave to one of his earlier projects, Dead of Night was the first indication of what direction his career was destined for and he had soon made his name as a great comedy director with films like He and Cry, Train of Events and Dance Hall.

In the fifties, Crichton received critical acclaim for The Lavender Hill Mob, a crime comedy who also propelled the career of Alec Guinness into the limelight.

Ealing Studios eventually folded and Crichton struggled to keep what had become a declining career on track. After a number of failures, Crichton returned to TV where his career was deemed over until 1988 when John Cleese invited Crichton to direct A Fish Called Wanda after 23 years away from film.

It is believed the studio would only allow Crichton to direct if John Cleese signed on as co-director and although Cleese accepts this, he is quick to point out his name was there on paper only and that the film was in fact Crichton’s triumph.

Thanks to A Fish Called Wanda, Crichton, who hadn’t directed since, lived his remaining years until September 1999 in more than comfortable circumstances.

Was the story/script ok…
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“ You're a very attractive man, Ken. You're... smart, you've got wonderful bones, and you dress really interestingly.”

With the comedic genius of John Cleese, who has also been responsible for writing numerous Monty Python sketches as well as Python film scripts and several of the Fawlty Towers episodes, it is no wonder that his over the top, nonsense humour has found itself on to the pages of the “A Fish Called Wanda” script.

There is a reason this screenplay was nominated for an Oscar as well as a number of other industry awards. A Fish Called Wanda is the perfect example of why British Humour cannot and will not be beaten – ever. This film, is sadly one of the last of a dying breed which brings us back to a time when intelligence and comedy were allowed to be used in the same sentence and when we could expect more from comedy film offerings.

One of the most impressive feats for which Cleese should be immensely proud, is having managed to cross the divide between the US and the UK. On either side of the ocean, this film is appreciated for the combination of true wit and its absurd slapstick. There was always a risk of alienating his viewers by poking fun at them culturally and broadly but in the spirit of ridicule that is so clear throughout the film the audience was instead allowed to laugh at themselves in the same way they laugh at the horrible characters in the film. This gives viewers a greater feeling of involvement and in turn makes it easier to identify with the characters no mater how vulgar and awful they may be.

The script allows the actors to feed off each other and the entire film is littered with one-liners, which keeps the pace of the film and refuses to allow the audience a chance to rest. A true gem of a film script.

Was the acting up to much…
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Without great performers a great script will only get so far. Luckily for Cleese and Crichton, the script had the support of some incredible talent and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, George Thomason and Jamie Lee Curtis all agreed to join the cast.

Before dealing with the actors individually, I would like to address the ensemble as a whole. What for me made this film so remarkable, was how well the cast gelled together and how incredibly they bounced off each other. Anyone who watches this film will recognize how great a time was had on set and how the cast enjoyed effectively playing together each day.

Kevin Kline – Otto
This must surely be Kline’s crowning glory. The part of the arrogant double-crossing thief was a chance for Kline to be liberated. With a role like this, which embraces stupidity so readily, it is almost impossible for an actor to overdo it and as such Kline, was free to experiment and enjoy his part as a comedic bad guy and the fantastic humour that went with it. His was an outstanding performances.

John Cleese – Archie Leach
John Cleese, as the repressed barrister is the perfect antidote for Otto’s character. Cleese plays his part in a more subdued manner than he may normally be accustomed to but his years of practice with Monty Python have clearly taught him how to be funny while appearing serious. His ridiculous stiff upper lip in the most unlikely circumstances will have viewers in fits of laughter.

Jamie Lee Curtis – Wanda
Jamie Lee Curtis was often thought of as the girl from the original Halloween or possibly as the body of many a workout video. In A Fish Called Wanda, Curtis is allowed to poke fun at herself and be a part of a comedic team and she does so admirably. She mixes an unexpected tenderness and intelligence with humour, particularly in her scenes with Archie and is a joy to watch interact with the men, each in a unique manner. She shows herself to be a flexible and competent actor in this.

Michael Palin – Ken Pile
Palin has been praised for his performance as the unfortunate and nervous petty criminal with a stutter. His part panders mostly to slapstick humour, an area of comedy he is very comfortable with. His stand as an animal lover is in direct contrast to his role as a would-be killer and this is behind much of the ridiculous and hilarious Ken moments in this film.

Did it look good?…
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The cinematography is somewhat unimportant (although I am sure many of the film’s crew would disagree). As this film was made roughly 20 years ago, it is appreciated that technology was not as advanced although, in some situations, less is more. There are no unnecessary distractions in this film to take away from the phenomenal script and brilliant performances. With the high level of physical humour particularly from the Monty Python alumni’s there is little need for the extra bang of special effects

What adds to the light-heartedness of the film is the less than polished execution of many of the stunt scenes and fight scenes. They aren’t attempting to achieve total reality with this film and the fact that they have embraced the limits makes it even more endearing. One of my favourite scenes comes at the end and involves a possessed Ken, a steam roller (?) and Otto. It has been shot to show the growing madness in Ken and the growing desperation in Otto and does so very well. It reminds me very much of a live Tom and Jerry cartoon and is great fun to watch.

…And at long last, my final thoughts
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A Fish Called Wanda is a hilarious mix of utter stupidity and downright clever wit. It isn’t often a comedy of this calibre comes along. 20 years ago, a handful of people were brave enough to embark on the making of a film and in doing so they have created a benchmark for comedy film and indeed for British film.

A Fish Called Wanda is a True Triumph and one that should be enjoyed for years to come.

I bet you didn’t know….
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1.Archie Leach, John Cleese’s character is Cary Grant’s real name

2.A Fish called Wanda only hit number 1 at the box office 2 months after it was released

3.Michael Palin's own father stuttered

4.The fish that Kevin Kline eats are made out of Jello although Kline claims he offered to eat real, live fish, but wasn’t allowed.

5.Jamie Lee Curtis buried her face in pillows during Kevin Kline's ejaculation scene, to keep her from bursting out laughing at the faces he was making.

6.Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time" in 2006.

7.When this film was shown in the theaters in Denmark, a Doctor literally laughed himself to death during the scene where Ken gets the chips up his nose. The story behind this, is that the man had made a joke a few years earlier with his family during dinner, where he put a piece of cauliflower up his and every family members nose as a joke and made a bet with them on who could eat up their carrots without the cauliflower falling out. When the scene with Ken and the chips came up, he started thinking about this dinner-incident and laughed so hard that his heart stopped. The story has been confirmed as true by the Doctor’s son. 

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