Man of the Century

I saw "Man of the Century" at the Best of Slamdance compilation at the Egyptian Theatre earlier this year. I LOVED the film, but what surprised me was the response of the audience, which practically gave it a standing ovation. Brilliant piece of work.

Caught this on cable quite by accident-- the idea behind it seemed really cute, and I decided to give it 10 minutes, to at least see how long it took for the filmmakers to screw it up.

Surprisingly, it held my attention for the entire film. The gimmick never got old; just when it seemed in danger of doing so, something new would happen to keep it fresh. A new character here, a plot twist there. Good, thoughtful filmmaking... and I really dug the 1920's slang. I wish I could remember more of it. Why DID we stop talking like this, anyway?

Good acting, some clever writing and a smartly-plotted story. The ending was a little cheesy, I thought, as I wanted to know the fates of the characters beyond the newspaper-story driven plot. But considering the source material, it really ended the only way it could have. So it's an amusing distraction for 90 minutes or so. And kind of educational, too. Banana Oil!

Some movies are just meant to be a great deal of fun, and this is one of them. What a delight - I'd never heard of it but stumbled on it on IFC and adored it. The sweetness and good-natured aspects of the film are part of the charm, as is the dead-on dialogue, situations and even camera angles/cinematography. For people who try and find reasons why this guy exists or why women would date him, you're missing the point of the movie. The Marx Brothers ending (no spoiler really), and the short Egyptian tomb sequence show the care that was taken with getting all the 1920's aspects down perfectly (and don't forget the musical numbers, when people would break into song in any sort of film back then -well, the talkies at least). Going incognito as Harold Lloyd? too funny - don't pass this one by when it shows up next time!

A newspaperman (Johnny Twennies) living in the 90's with a complete 20's personality and lifestyle - fedora, manual typewriter, the Charleston, the works. It's a great idea for a movie and it couldn't have been done better.

Johnny doesn't miss a cliche, but never uses the same one twice. You'll find yourself anticipating his reactions to the harsher '90s world as the movie goes along, you'll often guess right - but that makes the movie just that much more fun.

Lots of fun when Johnny is called on to save the same damsel in distress (named Virginia, natch) on three different occasions. She responds with appropriate fluttering eyelids each time.

His reaction to independent women, openly gay men, and the general '90s milieu is delightful. He remains happily oblivious.

Don't worry, the movie never takes itself seriously. Nobody preaches about the evil of the present, or the shallowness of the past. You end up with a warm feeling for all the characters, even the bad guys. This was one of those rare movies where you can actually feel that the performers are thoroughly enjoying their characters. The film makers make sure you know that with a delightfully offbeat ending.

I read Ebert's review of Man of the Century back in 1999, and wanted to see it ever since. Just noticed it on the Blockbuster new releases shelf and immediately forget what it was I went there for. What a treat this little gem is! The wisecracking dialogue, the homage to old movies, the snappy old songs and even some neat dance scenes contribute to the offbeat comedy. Unless you are a teenager with a 5 minute attention span and a chip on your shoulder, you will love this film.