Post by Clouseau on Jun 10, 2006 16:51:14 GMT
Inspector Clouseau (1968)
Plot Notes - well as far as the actual, basic plot to this film is concerned, it's actually quite interesting and funny... it's the script-writing and execution that spoil it, i think... the basic premise is that an unknown villain is using the loot from a British train robbery to finance something larger - a bank robbery - and not just any bank robbery... he's going to rob all the banks in Switzerland (or something like that) simultaneously, disguised as Inspector Clouseau... Clouseau is sent to London, and then to Zurich to investigate... unfortunately, as i said, it's a decent premise, but poorly done, and i'm not a bit surprised that neither Blake Edwards nor Peter Sellers wanted a thing to do with it...
Cast Notes:
- Alan Arkin - the first time i sat through this film, i blamed Arkin for this flop of a film, but upon re-viewing it, i've determined that it can't be all his fault... what i've determined is that - like Steve Martin's Clouseau in the 2006 movie - Arkin's Clouseau is much more enjoyable if you do not view him as the same character portrayed by Peter Sellers in so many films... his mannerisms are different, he stutters a little, the accent is straightforward, and i would even say that Arkin's Clouseau is more inept than Sellers'... all things taken into consideration, i'd say that Arkin did a moderately interesting take on the character, though he's far too annoying... 2 hours was more than enough for me, and i'm glad he didn't do another Panther film after this one...
- Delia Boccardo - i liked Boccardo as Lisa, but IMO she wasn't given a large enough role... for being the leading lady, she was hardly on screen at all... Clouseau met her at the Weaver's house, and she later turned out to be a member of INTERPOL, but while Clouseau was emphatuated with her at the onset, she never showed any real interest in him, his interest in her seemed to dwindle, and she became purely utilitarian, giving Clouseau an excuse to enter certain scenes and only setting up one or two jokes... a terrible waste of a well-enough actress, if you ask me...
- Patrick Cargill - as Commissioner Braithwaithe of Scotland Yard, Cargill was intended to fill the shoes of the curiously missing Herbert Lom... the best evidence of this is the fact that the character's first name is Charles, just like Dreyfus'... apart from being a Commissioner named Charles, however, Braithwaithe has almost nothing in common with Dreyfus, and in my opinion was just another waste of space... he became annoyed with Clouseau, but that seems to be about it, and his screen time was also minimal...
- Frank Finlay - as Supt. Weaver, Finlay made an interesting double agent-type character, and was perhaps one of the best-used characters in the film, though at times, it's still difficult to tell what's going on if you're not paying careful attention...
- Beryl Reid - if Supt. Weaver was among the best characters of the movie, his Scottish wife, played by Reid, was among the worst... so annoying was she that i cringed every second she was on the screen... interestingly enough, that would make it seem that Reid did her job well, since Clouseau also admits in one scene, "But I can't stand Mrs. Weaver!"
Music - the main theme for this film is somewhat catchy, but as is my complaint with the majority of the film, it lacks the class and sophistication the rest of the series is known for... the Pink Panther Theme (for legal reasons, i'm sure) is never used in the film, and while Ken Thorne's score is mildly interesting, to say "he's no Mancini" would be a huge understatement... not that it was all bad... it just wasn't all that good, if you know what i mean...
Special Note - i do not wish to give the impression that this film is totally without merit... it's not all bad... for completists like myself, it's an interesting entry, but for those who maybe are not completists, i would venture to guess that the majority of you could do without and never feel like you're missing anything that big... it has its share of funny situations, but it just doesn't measure up to some of the other films in the series, if that makes sense... regardless of what i think of his actual performance, i must at least give Mr. Arkin an A for his effort!