I generally do not care for average screwball comedies; they are too much like slapstick comedy; a little bit is fine, but an hour and a half of it becomes a bit tedious. This film, however, holds up for the hour and change because of the wonderful performances of Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, and Ray Milland. When that trio is at the top of their game, you are bound to have a good film. The only weakness in the film is the direction, which is a bit heavy-handed and unnecessarily over the top. The pace of the film is about 100 mph, which is fine if you are short on time. However, there are so many good moments in the film that should have been stretched out, and some opportunities for genuine character exploration were lost.
Arthur's character, however, is wonderfully developed, thanks to screenwriter Sturges, who is one of the best. He does have trouble, however, trying to gain sympathy for the rich and spoiled. We are really happier when Arnolds' character, Mr. Ball, is losing his shirt. We have almost zero empathy for Arnold;s spoiled wife, and only a tad more empathy for his son, whom Milland plays to the hilt. The rich and snooty are amusing only for a few moments at a time, and then their wealth becomes a point of annoyance. Fortunately, Arthur is there to pull us back into the world of the everyday man, and the film succeeds despite its ridiculous pacing.
Review of Easy Living
