Suicidez-moi docteur

I saw this about twenty years ago and remembered liking it. Came across a negative mention of it online recently which led me to looking at reviews and seeing the general opinion of it isn't that high. But the same is true for most Burt Reynolds movies I like so I decided to give it a shot and see if my opinion had changed since the first viewing. The short answer is no, it hasn't. I enjoyed the movie still but I can see why others might not. It's a particular style of humor that Reynolds is arguably not suited for. Think more Albert Brooks or Elliott Gould. But it's got plenty going for it, if you can make it past the first ten or fifteen minutes where Reynolds' character's whining is very annoying. The biggest plus is that the supporting cast full of recognizable faces is good. There are also bits of weirdness that keep it interesting like Robby Benson's childish priest or the bizarre scene where the camera lingers on Sally Field's body double's cleavage. Reynolds directed by the way. It's a dark comedy about an unlikable neurotic facing death starring an actor most known for "good old boy" comedies. But it's not the disaster you might think. Ringing endorsement!

Burt Reynolds throws himself in front of and behind the camera in this 1978 gem of a comedy. Not the best comedy that year, but far from the worse. Reynolds may have bit off more than he could chew by directing and acting all in one, but the final product was funny enough for cinemas. Still, without Dom DeLuise, this movie would be far from watchable. It is DeLuise that saves this movie. At sometimes dark, The End mixes mild comedy which delivers this Woody Allen (who wrote the original script) type story. DeLuise is nothing but brilliant as the lovable, yet crazy friend of Reynolds. This movie is nothing but fun. Not the best movie, but a nice story with an interesting cast of characters. However, if this movie was re-edited the movie would have been better told. The movie changes once Dom DeLuise is introduced. The first half of the movie has its funny moments, but it is not until the second half do we start to truly laugh. A better Editor could have saved this movie by cutting the timeline up to have most of the first half as a flash back. For starters, I would have started the movie at the half way point where we find Reynolds waking up from attempted suicide. Then have his character going back in time to reflect on what occurred following up to his arrival in the nut house. That way, we could welcome Deluise earlier to the movie and give the Reynolds character more of an appreciated back story before we arrive at the central transition. Before Reynolds arrives to the beach, i would have his final flashback be of his daughter where we get to the climax of his final decision. All in all, a good movie worth watching.

Everyone remembers this one, esp the scene at the loony bin window where Dom Delouise is hellbent of finishing Burt off, Burt has second thoughts about plummetting to his death, and so on. That alone is great. Kirsty McNichols was also very good too. (I was too young when I saw it to appreciate the presence of Myrna Loy and Joanne Woodward, and so I do look forwards to seeing it again in fact)

I also can remember seeing David Steinberg doing his whacked out shrink routine-'Get off of me!', etc. too. He is kinda forgotten now but a funny guy nonetheless.

So yeah, I do recommend this to anyone who wants to see an underrated Reynolds flick, it really is pretty good.

***

Best remembered for the last half-hour involving Burt Reynolds, as a dying man with less than a year to live, and Dom DeLuise, whom he meets at an insane asylum after an unsuccessful suicide attempt: Crazy Dom's given the personal task to kill Burt so he doesn't have to do it himself...

Before the human cartoon zaniness is a satisfying, darkly comedic hour where Reynold's character, a formerly shady insurance scammer, Sonny, meets with a young priest (Robbie Benson, basically playing, Robbie Benson as a priest) who's more curious about Sonny's sins than a confession...

Followed by his flaky lover played by Sally Field, who, having never looked hotter, as he tries for a good old fashion "pity f---", has more annoying house cats than desire.

Then he visits his ex wife with her Latin lover; then beloved daughter (Kristy McNichol) who he walks through a colorful park; and his parents, veterans Myrna Loy and Pat O'Brien, each oblivious to the impending doom...

The beginning provides a hilarious moment as Sonny's handed down the horrible news by his doctor (Norman Fell) while staring into a large aquarium, an obvious improv by Reynolds who can be quite funny reacting to things around him: including an odd looking fish and later on, his ex wife's gigolo/lover and a noisy cat in Field's shabby home...

The fast-paced third act in the seemingly tranquil insane asylum with Burt and Dom's schizophrenic Marlon Borunki, who tells Polish jokes while holding back tears when we first meet him, has some funny moments...

But it's Sonny's initial journey to find something to live and/or die for that really works, providing Reynolds an opportunity to wield both comedy and pathos throughout the bleak story-line...

Since we meet Sonny right after he's handed down the news, we never get to know the jerk that made commercials selling lakeside properties without lakes, cheating on his wife with hookers, or ignoring his teenage daughter...

Yet these traits seep out of the dying Sonny, and at the same time, a new man emerges. Despite coming across as a subdued Archie Bunker, using words like "beaner" without a second thought...

He's someone you'll dig hanging out with during the ninety minute odyssey. And it takes a versatile actor like Reynolds could pull off such a flawed human being and make him so likable and humorous.

For a guy diagnosed with a terminal disease, Burt Reynolds sure pumped a lot of life into this film.

This is the ultimate in black comedies, a man is told he's got a little over a year to live. We would all react in different ways. Burt Reynolds gets this cheerful bit of news and goes immediately berserk and starts acting all kinds of crazy.

Of course everyone around him sees him differently. Wife Joanne Woodward, girl friend Sally Field, parents Pat O'Brien and Myrna Loy. Burt pushes all their buttons except O'Brien who seems oblivious to all.

Reynolds always had a marvelous gift for comedy that in his prime period of the seventies was utilized rather well. His career seemed to go in the same path as Tom Selleck's, I think they could have played a lot of each other's parts.

Of course it was nice to see two veterans of old Hollywood, Myrna Loy and Pat O'Brien in support. They never disappoint.

My favorites though are Strother Martin as the officious head of a mental institution where Reynolds gets committed after some bizarrely unsuccessful suicide attempts and Dom DeLuise as another patient there.

DeLuise when he gets going approaches Robin Williams kind of zaniness and he was working on all cylinders in this film. He's ready to offer all kinds of help to Burt to fulfill his mission.