Jerry som pigernes ven
When it
comes to modern comedians I have serious issues with Jim Carrey. His style of
extreme over-acting is for me not funny at all. However Mr. Carrey is easily
topped by Jerry Lewis. Lewis and Carrey does the same sort of comedy. They are
totally over the top on everything: acting, expressions, dialogue and insincerity.
The main difference is that Jerry Lewis is worse.
Then image
90 minutes of Jerry Lewis goofing around.
If you are
think “okay, that sounds pretty bad” you are spot on.
There is no
real point to the story. Lewis is Herbert H. Herbert who got burned by his
girlfriend and now abhors women, which is why he takes a job as janitor in a
boarding house for young women and that is pretty much it. This could be the
setup for a lot of fun, Imagine Jason Biggs as Herbert and I am already
smiling, but with Lewis everything, and I really mean everything, is second to
his so-called gags. He trashes everything he lays his hands on, screams “Maaaa!!”
every time the girls wink at him and babbles away. Each “gag” disconnected from
the previous or the next one.
By the end
of the movie I realized I had laughed twice during the entire movie. The first
time was the hat scene where a tough gangster type looks absolutely miserable
with his hat a sorry mess on his head. It is funny, but not because of Jerry
Lewis. The second time was when Lewis got stuck in the landlady’s wrist-flower
during a tv interview. Again it was not Lewis that was funny, but Helen
Traubel, trying to keep a straight face.
I imagine
that back in 1961 this house of girls was a naughty place full of temptation,
but I suppose time has not been kind on it. They are sweet enough, but they are
all too prude and, yeah, sweet, to be interesting or funny. The closest thing
is the vamp behind the door Herbert is not supposed to open. There was a scene
with potential, but it is not played to half its potential and the girl ends up
looking… silly.
Comedy must
fit into the context or it is not funny. Even a crazy movie like “Airplane!”
keeps that rule. It also works best when it is held up against something
serious or real. If fumbling has no consequences and dialogue is
inconsequential the comedy loses its edge. “The Ladies Man” break practically
all those rules.
I would not
go so far as to say I hated the movie, it is not a movie that generated much
anger. Only resentment that I had to waste 90 minutes of my life with this
miserable excuse for a comedy. I know there is more Jerry Lewis on the way for
me and I cannot say I am looking forward.
Okay, that
is not a very long review, but honestly, I have no more to say about it.