084 - The King of Comedy

Synopsis: Talentless comedian stalks his hero to try and kickstart his career

Director: Martin Scorsese

Actors: Jerry Lewis, Robert de Niro, Sandra Bernhard, Diahnne Abbott

Date: 1982

How viewed: Bought on Amazon

Rating: 3/5

David Meyer says:

By turns it's funny, unsettling, surreal, and unbearable. Consider it an exercise in truth through exaggeration. 

I say:

This feels like quite a disturbing films on a number of levels. Robert de Niro plays Rupert Pupkin a sad, lonely, budding comedian with enormous self-belief and no talent, who stalks and harasses his hero (Jerry Lewis playing a top talk-show host) for a slot on his show - and not taking 'no' for an answer, resorts ultimately to kidnap to achieve his dream (and he believes, his right). It feels like the precursor for all the current reality shows - people with no talent being able to achieve fame and fortune just by being pushy. So, this is one of those films that I'm sure some people find extremely funny, but others (including me) find just a little bit sad, and creepy, and irritating. I'm still not convinced de Niro does comedy (maybe in this film that's the point), but Jerry Lewis is sensational as the successful but world-weary talkshow host (such a contrast to his previous incarnation playing the stupid partner of Dean Martin) and Sandra Bernhard is manically brilliant in one scene. So, what else to report - the musical score is by Robbie Robertson (mainly music by Ray Charles which can't be bad), I liked the way the scenes switched between reality and Pupkin's daydreams, and there's plenty of cameos to look our for (including Martin Scorsese himself). The ending suggests that indeed infamy trumps real talent (but alternatively that may simply have been another of Pupkin's daydreams).  

061 - Mad Dog and Glory

Synopsis: Meek detective falls in love with gangster's moll 

Director: John McNaughton

Actors: Robert de Niro, Bill Murray, Uma Thurman

Date: 1993

How viewed: Lovefilm rental

Rating: 2/5

David Meyer says:

A whimsical, violent mixture of love story, crime story and comedy.

I say:

This is a film that fails spectacularly on all levels! It concerns a meek detective (or scene of crimes investigator? or police photographer?) who accidentally saves the life of a local gangster, who in turn tries to befriend him and gifts him a girl for a week as a thank you present. Detective falls in love with girl, gangster wants her back, culminating in stand-off, and eventual happy ending. So, let's see, the title is annoying as you expect a Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle (the detective is ironically called 'Mad Dog' due to his avoidance of all confrontational situations), Robert de Niro doesn't do timid, Bill Murray doesn't do psychotic, though against my better judgement I have to say Uma Thurman is passable! The film could have been pitched much lighter (sort of 'Irma la Douce', but then you'd have needed the equivalent of Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon), or much heavier (but you'd have needed David Lynch and Dennis Hopper), but is actually just a mess. Even the publicity photo (above), is misleading - who looks like the timid detective, and who the gangster???