La chouette et le pussycat

This is another film I had missed out on a number of times on Cable TV in the past. It's considered something of a censorship milestone with the treatment of taboo subjects such as prostitution, homosexuality and pornography – not to mention the proliferation of bad language throughout (unfortunately, the DVD is said to contain the slightly edited PG-rated version, which cuts some brief nudity involving female lead Barbra Streisand and her use of the f-word in one scene)!

With this in mind, one has to consider the development which the comedy genre underwent during this time: from the mildly risqué sophisticated antics of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson films of the early 1960s to the cynical anxiety-ridden variety that started emanating towards the tail-end of the decade – with which the likes of Jack Lemmon, George Segal (the male lead of this film) and, in particular, Woody Allen (since he was his own writer and mostly directed himself as well) are forever associated.

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT is also notable for giving the current female singing sensation – Barbra Streisand – her first non-musical role; in fact, it led to other wacky comedy vehicles: foremost among them WHAT'S UP, DOC? (1972; Peter Bogdanovich's updating of the Howard Hawks classic BRINGING UP BABY [1938]) and FOR PETE'S SAKE (1974; whose trailer, included on the Columbia R2 DVD of the film under review, makes it seem like a good deal of fun). Thanks largely to his role in the film, Segal went on to do his fair share of sex comedies up till the early 1980s – with the most successful among them being A TOUCH OF CLASS (1973), which I should be acquiring shortly.

Anyway, to get to the main item: the film can be seen as a modern variation on the perennial "Pygmalion" theme – with Segal as intellectual but, at the same time, neurotic and Streisand the uncouth yet liberated woman. There's no plot to speak of – instead, we follow the two stars on a logical pattern of location-hopping around New York throughout which their relationship blossoms: from his apartment when she's evicted because of his snitching (which leads to both of them being given the gate by the landlord), to them shacking up at the flat of Segal's pal (who drives them out because of their constant bickering), then going their separate ways till they meet again (after he has learned about her movie experience – a hilarious scene – and a 'colleague' of hers has gone to see him at his workplace) and go out together (where they're harassed by a band of thrill-seekers), after which they find themselves at the house of Segal's fiancée (a scene with an unexpectedly ironic punchline), to finally deciding to be completely honest with one another (beginning with their real names).

In this respect, the film emerges to be overly talky (betraying its stage origins) but there is a reasonable amount of invention and wit in the undeniable comedy highlights: Segal dressing up as Death to scare the hiccupping Streisand; Segal using an aquarium as a TV set – with him delivering an impromptu news flash – to humor the insomniac Streisand (her addiction to TV is illustrated by a surprising reference to the Lionel Atwill/Lon Chaney Jr. horror pic MAN MADE MONSTER [1941]); the couple's argument over "the sun spat morning" line in the opening paragraph of a book by aspiring novelist Segal; Streisand's account of the sordid activities her clients invariably came up with (prompting Segal to describe her as "a sexual Disneyland"), etc. The film's soundtrack is highlighted by several songs from jazz/rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Comedy/drama taking place in NYC about meek, mild Felix (George Segal) ending up stuck with loud, obnoxious prostitute Doris (Barbra Streisand). Naturally they hate each other and naturally fall in love.

This movie is VERY loud (basically because Streisand yells nonstop), the humor is pretty caustic (Streisand thinks Segal is gay and throws quite a few homophobic jokes at him) and is pretty risqué--it was edited from an R rating but there's still plenty of swearing and sexual sequences. Still it is fun. Segal and Streisand work well together--the script is full of one liners that they throw at each other full tilt. And it might seem strange that Streisand could convincingly play a prostitute--but she actually looks very attractive here and pulls it off (she played another one in "Nuts" in 1987).

This isn't perfect however. It seems a little bit too long and some of their arguing gets repetitive. Also there is annoying edit when Streisand says the word "f***". I'm guessing it was cut to get a PG rating but it renders one scene incomprehensible and I DID hear it in the video version released in the 1980s. What's the story? Also there's a very ugly scene at the end where Segal humiliates Streisand in Central Park. Segal also shot some nude scenes which never made it into the final print.

Still this is worth catching. I wouldn't let the kids see it though. This is pretty strong for a PG film.

This is a fantastic movie.

I used to think it was too loud, abrasive and most certainly claustrophobic....and at that time it really turned me off. Well, it is all those things...but, it is brilliantly acted by both Segal and Streisand. I don't think I have seen Streisand more natural or convincing than in this role....and in my opinion she's extremely sexy.

Originally I faulted George Segal for being so annoying (as Felix)...now, I applaud him for acting the part.

There are some hysterically funny lines and situations in this movie.

Enjoy

Adaptation of the Broadway play casts George Segal as an uptight New York City book-clerk who hopes to be a writer but can't get anything published; after calling the landlord one night on prostitute-neighbor Barbra Streisand, he finds her on his doorstep. She tells him she's a model and an actress--her third time on TV is in front of the elevator security camera! The two lovable losers banter back and forth before falling into uncertain love, and you could say the film is either nicely devoid of major plot devices or is an exceptionally thin romantic comedy. Streisand, her Brooklynese so thick she sometimes lapses into Cockney, wears tacky, hilarious hooker-outfits, but her shrillness isn't modulated (at least not in the first act) and she can sometimes be grating. The sex-talk is dated now, and the picture tends to look like a relic from a bygone era, yet it's an often funny film about opposites. Although too soft in its final scenes, director Herbert Ross changes speeds enough to keep things bubbling, even though his rhythm may put some viewers off. *** from ****

The Owl And The Pussycat is a fine example of great comic pairing. Barbra and George Segal work very well together. Very well indeed. It is a loud comedy though, not a slapstick one. So if you're looking for slapstick, watch What's Up,Doc? or For Pete's Sake. If you are looking for a comedy that is a more heartfelt, with more depth to the charatcers and emotion, then The Owl And The Pussycat is for you. I say it is a loud comedy mostly because of Barbra's character Doris. Doris can be pretty loud. But what's funny about it is that half the time she doesn't even mean to be; it's just her nature. This "nature", took George Segal's character Felix quite by surprise,

and it is very amusing to see him try to adjust to it. What's so interesting to watch is that although Doris shows herself in the beginning to be loud, self-assertive and bold, she later shows herself to be vulnerable and sweet. Where as George Segal's character Felix, showing himself to have a nose up in the air, "I'm too intellectual for you" attitude in the beginning, later shows that although he wants success in his life, not at the expense of pretense. With himself, or what he genuinely wants. I say pretense because Felix's thinking was that he would marry an "intellectual" such as he thought himself to be, and live this "proper" life. Doris, although loud, and believes she is a legend in her own mind, is genuine and real. Felix is very much attracted to her for this reason. It's a quality that she has that he sees that he wants to be more like himself. But what is so amusing is that Doris feels that after meeting and getting to know Felix, that she needs to become more like him! More "intellectual". What's truly so charming about this movie is how it shows the facades that we can portray and the masks that we can wear are truly just that; facades and masks. How no matter how confident we can "look" on the outside, how smart we may "appear", that it can be a totally different story once you start actually getting to know someone. What's most charming of all,(actually wonderful),is that by the film's end they both decide to drop these facades, take off the masks, and "start fresh". But...all along from the beginning of this movie til it's end, until they get to this level, it can be quite hysterical. A great comedy with heart. Enjoy it.