LadyJaneGrey

Alec Guinness is absolutely insane-looking in this movie, with his carnivorous teeth, black-rimmed eyes, and wild hair. He's got a cardigan draped over his shoulders and an ultra-long scarf, does dotty old Professor Marcus, so one would never suspect he's really a smooth-talking conman. He's planned a caper that is bound to succeed. He's rented rooms from Mrs. Wilberforce, an old dear who's widowed and lives in a crazily lopsided house above a railway line. He and his criminal cronies (including a young Peter Sellers and his future nemesis in the Pink Panther series, Herbert Lom) pose as a musical quintet who need rooms to practice in. Mrs. W. is delighted to oblige. They lock the door and put a record on the phonograph and plan their job on a cash heist. To their annoyance, however, the old lady is ever-so solicitous, knocking often and offering tea and praise for their beautiful music.

The caper goes off as planned, with daffy Mrs. W. inadvertently having the "lolly" delivered directly to the house. The criminal's bumbling at the last minute tips her off to the goings-on before the gang can get away with the loot, and suddenly Professor Marcus has a lot of 'splaining to do. The group decides she must be gotten rid of (hence the title), and from there the fun begins.

This film is great fun from start to finish, with fine performances by all. Sellers is brilliant as usual, Guinness is creepy and hilarious at the same time (much like another favorite movie of mine, "Murder by Death," where he's the blind butler). The odious Hollywood remake of several years ago cannot hold a candle to this one. Of course, film-makers have been dressing up an old, tired pig in new lipstick since film began, so it's not a new phenomenon. But to remake something as perfect as this movie is just pointless.

Not to be missed!

To really get the whole "Down With Love" experience, it helps to have actually seen a Rock Hudson/Doris Day film. This is such a loving homage to the uptight virgin/reformed playboy films of the early 1960s, it's hard not to like it.

Renee Zellweger squints and pouts her way through the film as Barbara Novak, a Helen Gurley Brown-style writer who urges women to replace sex with chocolate and by the time they've attained level 3, sex with men is take it or leave it and without the strings-attached love. Swinging writer Catcher Block, ladies' man, man's man, man about town, is on the defensive after he puts off meeting with Barbara for an interview one too many times and she disses him on the Ed Sullivan Show, causing his formerly complacent conquests to shimmy away.

Ewan McGregor is perfectly cast as the cad swinger, and plays him with a tongue in the cheek and a wink in the eye and no trace of hiding that adorable Scottish accent. David Hyde-Pierce is spot-on in the fussy Tony Randall role as Block's editor. Cute-as-a-button Sarah Paulson plays Barbara's editor Vicky Hiller, who professes to be the ultimate career girl but who really wants to be married.

The sets and costumes are perfect; over the top as only the 60s were. The plot twists are typical of the usual sex comedy of the period, even the nearly five-minute soliloquy by Zellweger done in breathy Doris Day style near the end that sums up the whole movie and seems to have been done with no cuts (bravo, Renee!) Tony Randall himself has a cameo as TB, the head of the publishing house for "Down With Love." (It's interesting to note that Randall always had the vaguely homosexual role whereas Hudson played manly in every movie, when in real life Randall was straight and Hudson gay. Truth is, as they say, stranger than fiction!) The split-screen effect so often employed with Rock and Doris on the phone in the bathtub is used a little more naughtily here but in a cute way. Renee and Ewan even do a little song and dance number at the end credits of the type so beloved in 60s sex comedies. No surprise that they both sang and danced winningly in Moulin Rouge (him) and Chicago (her).

I pity the underuse of Tony Randall; he could have been much more effective than he was. Otherwise, this frothy confection isn't a bad way to spend an afternoon. It doesn't take itself too seriously, so you shouldn't either; just lay back and enjoy it, as Vicky's mother would say.

Once again Ralph Bellamy plays the sad sack role, and here he has the added burden of not being able to walk. Robert Osborne called this role a "Ralph Bellamy" role and who more perfect for the ignored/dumped love interest than he? He is infatuated with hotel manicurist Lombard (sparkling as always) and is rich into the bargain. However, she falls for playboy MacMurray, whose family has lost its money, and who is looking to marry into it so he can continue his aimless yet pampered existence. Lombard wants to marry money, too, but curiously overlooks puppy-eyed Bellamy in this regard. The plot involves MacMurray missing the boat he is taking to Bermuda while his fiancée's family plan the wedding. He misses the boat due to a zany night out with Lombard and ends up needing to board with her for the week so his fiancée thinks he's in Bermuda. The usual falling-in-love-despite-themselves ensues.

This is called a screwball comedy, but I found it more sad than comical, especially with the character Bellamy plays. MacMurray has no sex appeal for me despite workable chemistry with Lombard. I cannot help but picture the pipe-puffing, cardigan-wearing dad, Steve Douglas, on "My Three Sons," and how utterly dopey he looks works against his being taken seriously as a sexy guy. No one has yet mentioned that William Demarest, who later played Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons" with MacMurray, shows up as a suitor to take Lombard out who gets cosmetically chased away by MacMurray in one of the funnier scenes in the film.

Tragic Marie Prevost plays Lombard's manicurist pal Nona. I thought she had a fine comedic presence, and it's a shame she didn't go on to more best-friend, Patsy Kelly type roles.

I don't think this is one of Lombard's best but not a complete waste of time. Not as zany or fantastic as "My Man Godfrey" but watchable nonetheless.