Ich und der Herr Minister

An earlier Norman Wisdom vehicle. More singing in this one which I wasn't a huge fan of and which makes it feel a little more dated than the others. Some good slapstick and destruction of scenery which works well and keeps it watchable. Wisdom himself remains an irresistable presence.

This is one of those films that harks back to the days when people KNEW how to make entertaining comedy as opposed to the sophisticated, bitter and indigestible bilge turned out nowadays ! I have it on DVD and have watched it countless times. It is a cute and feel good film, with a touch of romance. Norman Wisdom is an exceedingly nice person and his "fraîcheur de vivre" is clearly evident in these, his early works.

Humour is obviously a very subjective thing and today's audience, or part of them at least, supposedly sophisticated, but in reality cynical ,bitter, lost and searching for a meaning and a direction to their life will no doubt tax Norman Wisdom as pathetic, silly, childish, heavy-handed, over the top .......the terms abound nowadays ! But that is their sad loss !! I for one, love this stuff and lap it up like a thirsty dog. And why not indeed ! When I am feeling miserable or down in the dumps, I put one of these on and .......Hop ! Tout va bien ! ( pardon my French ).

That said, Man of The Moment is one of his better films plot wise and the dose of gestural humour, plot inventiveness, romance and action is just right for the spectator. Really enjoyable. When I see a film like this, I think "Thank God for British Cinema of the Fifties" for I don't know whether I'll still be alive if and when a renaissance of this genre comes !

A mostly pleasing star farce in which Norman Wisdom - who's so modest that his greatest ambition in life is to become chief filing clerk in a Ministry! - unwittingly tries his hand at international intrigue, as he gets to replace an indisposed British diplomat at a Geneva conference and causes no end of havoc!! There are some nice moments along the way (though there's an overabundance of songs), particularly during the flight to Switzerland, the initial business at the hotel and the climax in a TV studio (notably a running gag involving a French chef), but the subplot involving conflicts over a South Seas island (which Norman somehow ends up representing to the chagrin of his fellow delegates) is rather dreary.

At least, the return of his co-stars from 1953's TROUBLE IN STORE (leading lady Lana Morris and comic foil Jerry Desmonde) elevate this to above medium grade. Belinda Lee also appears as a movie siren, Norman's dream-girl, who also turns up in Geneva but is exposed as a femme fatale involved in the plotting! The bumbling diplomat plot was reprised several times by other film comics, notably Danny Kaye in THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (1949), Terry-Thomas in CARLTON BROWNE OF THE F.O. (1958; co-starring Peter Sellers and also dealing with the fate of an island in the Pacific), etc.

For "Norman" Fans only. This is the usual "silly" slapstick, innocent farce featuring the little fella who manages to do go whilst all around him others are trying to be serious. Fun and slapstick only with Norman delivering his usual comedic thoroughness and still getting the girl!

This is one of those films that harks back to the days when people KNEW how to make entertaining comedy as opposed to the sophisticated, bitter and indigestible bilge turned out nowadays ! I have it on DVD and have watched it countless times. It is a cute and feel good film, with a touch of romance. Norman Wisdom is an exceedingly nice person and his "fraîcheur de vivre" is clearly evident in these, his early works.

Humour is obviously a very subjective thing and today's audience, or part of them at least, supposedly sophisticated, but in reality cynical ,bitter, lost and searching for a meaning and a direction to their life will no doubt tax Norman Wisdom as pathetic, silly, childish, heavy-handed, over the top .......the terms abound nowadays ! But that is their sad loss !! I for one, love this stuff and lap it up like a thirsty dog. And why not indeed ! When I am feeling miserable or down in the dumps, I put one of these on and .......Hop ! tout va bien ! ( pardon my French ).

That said, Man of The Moment is one of his better films plot wise and the dose of gestural humour, plot inventiveness, romance and action is just right for the spectator. Really enjoyable. When I see a film like this, I think "Thank God for British Cinema of the Fifties" for I don't know whether I'll still be alive if and when a renaissance of this genre comes !