Tell Me a Riddle

Tell Me A Riddle is, in my estimation, one of if not the best film to have ever come out of Hollywood. As one of the irredeemable 'males' who are responsive only to brute force, jump cuts, and endless blow-ups, I would like to say 'not fair'. Any woman who cannot take her man to this film is clearly a woman who has selected as her partner a desensitized, muscle-headed oaf. The pitiable thing is that Hollywood is capable of producing masterpieces but, by force of the profit motive, seldom bothers and, when it does bother, as in the case of Tell Me A Riddle, the film is given minimum distribution and quickly disappears from the rental and retail shelves as well as the television movie channels.

Lila Kedrova is stupendous in as magnificent a performance as I have ever seen an elderly actress give on the screen. Douglas and Adams are also terrific as Kedrova's husband and estranged daughter respectively, but it is Kedrova who elevates this last-journey-before-I-die soaper far above its roots. The pacing is a tad slow, but the terrific photography, sensitive score, and magnificent performances more than make up for any shortcomings.

Warning, the first time I saw it, the male friend who was with me hated it, and wanted to walk out. When I recently re-watched it off cable, a male colleague called it "incredibly boring." Since I and every other woman I know who saw it loved it, I conclude that most men I know don't really get the subtleties of what was truly going on. Because Lila's relationships with her husband and daughter are reflected against the prism of her life, the director's artistic brilliance needs to be absorbed rather than spoon-fed. So my advice to other women is to see this one alone or with another woman. Otherwise, you may find yourself constantly being nagged to put on something with some action in it.

That being said, this is a terrific and sensitive movie. Enjoy it.