"Free And Easy" was interesting to see for it's backstage glimpses into the MGM studio, and for the amusing musical sequences - including a chance to laugh at Robert Montgomery's singing, in a scene you might recognize from "That's Entertainment". But overall this is a pretty bad movie. The story's slim, the dialogue's far from sparkling, and the jokes fall flat. It was depressing to see Buster Keaton given such weak material. His hangdog, sadsack expression never alters - and I don't think he was acting!
I must say I was surprised that Buster didn't get the girl in the end. When Montgomery's character was revealed to be a cad who lures naive starlets up to his apartment, I thought for sure that the girl would end up with her "faithful friend" instead. But no, the cad reforms and somehow we're supposed to believe they fell in love sometime when the cameras weren't on them or something. What the heck? Maybe I've seen too many movies where the less-glamorous-but-nice girl wins the guy once her rival is revealed to be a bitch. Didn't the less-conventionally-handsome-but-nice *guy* ever win in movies back then?
I was dumbfounded at the conclusion of "Free And Easy" - with the camera lingering on brokenhearted Buster's miserable mug (such PAIN in his eyes!) as he contemplates the cruel irony of unintentionally bringing together his rival and the girl he loves. What a way to end an otherwise frivolous comedy! Suddenly it's a tragedy. Then again, the "comedy" is so terribly unfunny that it's all rather tragic anyway, isn't it?
I must say I was surprised that Buster didn't get the girl in the end. When Montgomery's character was revealed to be a cad who lures naive starlets up to his apartment, I thought for sure that the girl would end up with her "faithful friend" instead. But no, the cad reforms and somehow we're supposed to believe they fell in love sometime when the cameras weren't on them or something. What the heck? Maybe I've seen too many movies where the less-glamorous-but-nice girl wins the guy once her rival is revealed to be a bitch. Didn't the less-conventionally-handsome-but-nice *guy* ever win in movies back then?
I was dumbfounded at the conclusion of "Free And Easy" - with the camera lingering on brokenhearted Buster's miserable mug (such PAIN in his eyes!) as he contemplates the cruel irony of unintentionally bringing together his rival and the girl he loves. What a way to end an otherwise frivolous comedy! Suddenly it's a tragedy. Then again, the "comedy" is so terribly unfunny that it's all rather tragic anyway, isn't it?