Chillichap's Review - That's Life! 1986 Movie Jack Lemmon and Julie Andrews - A Film I've Just Watched

 Hello!

I've just watched this film free on YouTube-it just appeared randomly on my selections list and I thought I'd take a chance. It only received an audience score of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Low scores like this don't put me off these days, as I content myself by finding little nuggets of gold. As a writer, I'm just happy to have new experiences or ways of looking at things good or bad that only a great actor with a half-decent script can deliver.



The film is a comedy-drama written by Milton Wexter and Blake Edwards and is directed by the latter who happens to be one of my favourite directors. It starts off on the operating table where Julie Andrews' character Gillian, is having a biopsy. Although unwell, she keeps her own health issue under wraps while stoically continuing with life in the face of her hypochondriac husband Harvey, played by Jack Lemon. Harvey is a successful architect who seems to be going through a midlife crisis and believes he's falling apart. He's not adjusting well to older age and Gillian seems to spend most of her time acting as his therapist (even though he won't actually see a real one despite suggestions he should). 

On the face of it, everyone in Gillian's life seems self-obsessed and oblivious to her woes. Gillian mother hens everyone, continually sorting out their problems, while all the while awaiting the results of her biopsy. Eventually, one of her neighbours twigs what's going on and gives Gillian much-needed support. This might be all she needs to crystallize her thoughts and put everyone in their rightful place.

One of my favourite bits is where Harvey goes and sees a mystic Madame Carrie played by Felicia Farr who reads Harvey's character by his ears and his feet and then seduces him at a cost. This leads to more great comedy moments, where Harvey is forced to read in church about the sins of adultery by his ex-friend Father Baragone played by Robert Loggia.

Jack Lemon's performance is flawless in my opinion and extremely funny.

Blake Edwards is one of my favourite directors and never fails to deliver, and, as with most of his films, there are some great comedy moments. 

I'm not going to reveal the ending and spoil it for you. Suffice to say that I'm glad I watched this film and would give it a Chillichap score of 70 out of 100.



Thanks for reading

Matt AKA Chillichap

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