Rabugentos & Mentirosos

Nat Moyer ( Walter Matthau ) may be several persons for the others: consumer protector, working class counselor, FBI agent, movie industry mogul, ... But Nat was in his entire life, essentially, the man who never forgot Clara Lemlich calling a general strike at the textile workers Union meeting. Matthau'interpretation was worth an Oscar. The movie has the marks of the original play. A gentle satire about the dreams and the death of communism.

This is a gentle heart warming film, that to me has a quintessential qualities that make Walter Mathau such a great actor. It is not the comedy in which he excelled at in films like 'The Odd Couple'. It is the way he bullies the script and the camera. This he does well but with not as much aplomb in 'The Sunshine Bys'. To see a film where the script is paramount is wonderful, and to have an actor such as Mathau at the centre of it conducting it with all his mastery skill is a delight to watch. The supporting cast around Mathau equip themselves well. They are not overpowered by his fame or skill. At times it feels as though you are actually there watching events unfold. This is a credit to the director who while keeping it looking like the good film it is, also brings you in as though you are the only person in the world watching the film. Although I have only watched the film on the television, I feel that I would have felt the same effect had I been watching the film in the cinema. This is a rare effect, too many times films can have that distant feel. It is the directors's skill, and the skill and art of the actors that this is never lost. I watched this film, when I had to fill half an hour of time. The result was that I was glued to the seat unable to pull myself away.

What a great movie! With a great script, a pair of huge actors, and a beautiful scenery, this movie can touch anyone's heart. Don't miss it!

very slow, very long, very quiet, which is perfect considering the film is about two old men trying to battle their age.the pace and mood of the film fits perfectly into its content. it is a very artistic movie with just enough reality to keep it Sincere yet enough adventure to keep it enjoyable.although a major plot in the movie is that of drugs and drug addiction, it seems to take a rather light hearted approach to it which keeps the issue of age close at all times, the relationship between that of Nat and his daughter is one that i have seen all to often in life and leaves you with a sense of pity.this is a subject that isn't touched on enough when it comes to film. it truly is a must see movie

Despite being old and worn, Nat Moyer has not lost any of his energy and is still the rabble rouser that he grew up around. He misses the Union days and the fact that none of his peers seem interesting in fighting "the man" anymore. He spends his days in the park where he finds that the employment of acquaintance Midge Carter provides him plenty to get worked up about. Although Nat himself may be a mess underneath the surface he soon finds the problems of those he meets to be distracting enough even as his own issues remain unresolved.

Starting out with a scene that gives us a certain amount of insight into the character of Nat, the film takes a fairly slow pace and isn't helped by the fact that the drama is rather forced and unconvincing for long sections of it. Although there is an element of character study within the film, the "adventures" of Nat and Midge are slightly stretched and prevented me seeing the characters are people. In an out and out comedy, this wouldn't be a problem but this is not so much a comedy as it is a drama and it does rather take away from the impact it has. It still does enough to be interesting to watch but I could see what it was trying to do and it was a bit of a problem for me that it didn't seem to be able to do it. The slow pace isn't helped by the length of the film and I can understand why many viewers will be frustrated by this when combined with the way that it is hard to be involved with.

The strongest sections of the film are those that ignore the adventures but concentrate on the two men and the dynamics between them – it is here we get to the core of the characters (or at least as close as we get). This is also helped by fine acting from the lead two. Matthau is his usual funny self but also has an air of the tragic – he convinces well as a man who may be delusional, crazy or just plain lonely and in denial. Davis has less of the lime light since he plays more of a straight man to Matthau, but he does it well. These two make the film better than the material suggests and although the support is OK, I didn't really think that the film made good use of Irving, Nelson, Plimpton, Diaz and others – mainly they just set up the adventures and providing a bit more of a way into Nat.

Overall this is an OK film but just don't expect anything special. It isn't particularly funny, nor is it meant to be; more worryingly the character aspect of it doesn't come off that well and, if it weren't for the presence of Mattau and Davis, I doubt it would have worked at all. Worth a try but be wary of the length, slow pace and the feeling that it is consistently missing the target.