My name is Katy and I'm originally from Watford, now living in Newcastle. I love music and live for ...
My name is Katy and I'm originally from Watford, now living in Newcastle. I love music and live for music. I enjoy films, comedy, food, drinking and spending time with my friends. I will mostly be reviewing... pretty much anything really!!
Member since:23.08.2004
Reviews:9
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Sad to say this film didn't stand much of a chance following as it did my viewing of the outstanding 'Brokeback Mountain' (also reviewed on Ciao by myself). I was hoping for a laugh-out-loud comedy to lighten the mood after feeling fairly crushed from the forementioned film, and lighten the mood this film certainly did. However, laugh-out-loud it was not, and coupled with other short-comings it proved to be a disappointment all round.
Written by Mel Brooks and based on the original award-winning musical, 'The Producers' charts the ups and downs (mostly downs) of has-been Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane), and his unlikely partnership with OCD-riddled accountant Leopold Bloom (Matthew Broderick), following a visit by Bloom to look at Bialystock's rather corrupt accounts. The story evolves when during his accounting, Bloom has a flighty notion that a Broadway flop could actually make more money than a hit. This idea is pounced upon by the morally slack Bialystock, who insists he can make Bloom's secret dream to become a Broadway producer a reality. The opening of
the film left me cold, instantly launching into a twee number in true 50's Broadway style - that may appeal to many, but not me unfortunately. In addition to this the opening scenes of the film are just that bit too overdone, and did not make me laugh as I could see they were so desperately trying to.
After a little musical persuasion (and a scene in the accountant's office highly reminiscent of Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' - one part I enjoyed) Bloom is convinced that he wants a part of Bialystock's scheme, and the unlikely pair set about finding themselves a surefire failure, combining the worst play, the worst director and the worst actors. Enter the Neo-Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind and his play about the lighter side of Hitler, and the campest director in all of New York, Roger de Bris, et voila. Throw into the mix the extremely tall, blond Swede Ulla (Uma Thurman) and you have a recipe for disaster. Or so you would think…
I am a fan of musical theatre to some extent, although the 50's style is not generally one of my favourites, but the music throughout the film did not really impress, the voices were not fantastic, and ultimately the soundtrack was forgettable.
I feel obliged to say some positive things about this film. It's basically a ridiculous film and I am sure that is the nature in which it was intended. It is light-hearted and amusing in many places, my particular favourite character being Franz Liebkind's outrageous neo-Nazi. The humour is basically slapstick in style and is choreographed very well, and the scene in the mansion of the camp director Roger de Bris (Gary Beach) is very funny. In fact, the camp emphasis on the second half of the film rescues it from bland non-existence, and it adds a hilarious take on Hitler who appears onstage in the most effeminate pose you can imagine, probably the film's funniest moment. Broderick is reasonable in his role as the innocent-looking accountant, he is not brilliant but takes on the character well and overacts as such a film demands. I imagine he had a riot filming as it's not his usual thing. Lane is slightly repulsive and unpleasant as Bialystock - which probably means he pulled it off - but he plays the role in a believable way. Thurman is well cast as a ditzy blonde Swede, she has a couple of good lines and comes across as fairly endearing which is not usual for her, but overall an average performance. I can hardly make any positive comments about the direction of Susan Stroman as she has directed no films worthy of note in my opinion, although I suppose it's probably an improvement on those.
Notwithstanding the low point near the end when Bialystock is in jail and the ensuing courtroom 'drama' - which makes the film about 20 minutes too long and could have been removed in a heartbeat - the film is probably worth watching, if you can get past the annoying, predictable 1950's musical soundtrack and extremely obvious physical humour. I hate to sound so negative as it is a fun film and I'm no cold fish, but it wasn't my cup of tea at all. I am beginning to question the success of films based upon musical theatre as I have not enjoyed any of the ones I have seen in the last couple of years, despite their critical acclaim (Chicago, Moulin Rouge), but if it's your thing, you'll probably love this film.
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The film-of-the-musical-of-the-film,The Producersunites the hit Broadway pairing of Nathan ... more
Lane and Matthew Broderick, drafts in Uma Thurman, and somewhere along the way loses half the fun that made the original movie and the Broadway show such a succe...
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The film-of-the-musical-of-the-film,The Producersunites the hit Broadway pairing of Nathan ... more
Lane and Matthew Broderick, drafts in Uma Thurman, and somewhere along the way loses half the fun that made the original movie and the Broadway show such a succe...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Bringing the Tony Award Winning musical on to the big screen. New York 1959. Max ... more
Bialystock was once the king of Broadway but now all his shows close on opening night. Things turn around when he's visited by the neurotic accountant Leo Bloom who pr...
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Advantages: Great song and dance routines and a marvellous central performance from Lane Disadvantages: A touch too stagey and a less endearing turn from Broderick
afy9mab 22.04.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Producers (DVD)
Advantages: Great song and dance routines and a marvellous central performance from Lane Disadvantages: A touch too stagey and a less endearing turn from Broderick
afy9mab 22.04.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Producers (DVD)
![The Producers [DVD] [2005]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78500850.jpg "The Producers [DVD] [2005]")
![The Producers (1 Disc Edition) [DVD] [1968]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78473781.jpg "The Producers (1 Disc Edition) [DVD] [1968]")
May 5th, 2006
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