Je me fais du cinéma

This is a modest but affecting little film. Besides his gift for one-line zingers, Neil Simon has a way of giving his characters lines that are both surprising and believable. Dinah Manoff is perhaps a bit abrasively cooky at first, but she moderates the Brooklyn shtick after awhile and comes over as more complex and real. Walter Matthau as her bewildered but finally disarmed dad is consummately believable. Ann Margaret has little to do, but she does it with superb subtlety. Just watch how well she listens and understands

what an outstanding and heart-tugging performance by DINAH. i never miss a rerun and go out of my way to see it. i can't believe she was not nominated for something. a perfect bit of acting by her and WALTER MATHAU. my wife says, "i guess you're.... just in love". the first time i saw the film was totally by accident. i was in a dentist's office for an appointment for teeth cleaning. the movie came on in the waiting room and after it was thirty minutes into filming the nurse came out and said "next". by a stroke of luck it was the last appointment of the day. i asked the dentist, who is also a dear friend, to let me continue watching. well, we both watched. the nurse had gone and he worked on my cleaning himself. he said it was worth it.

In my and my wife's opinion(s) this picture ("I Ought To Be In Pictures") held our attention, made us laugh, and touched our heart strings. The plot is very believable and truly beautiful. Dinah Manoff and Walter Matthau were delightful. Ann-Margret's part was undoubtedly low-key, but we applaud her for being prepared to play it and play it well. (Who ever said an actress has always to play "knock-out" parts.) This is a movie we will buy for our collection of fine movies. Leonard Maltin's review rating: ** is an insult. We give it *** at least. We were thrilled to see Dinah Manoff playing a larger role than her role in "Ordinary People."

The problem with this film was that it was a rotten play to begin with. It's the same old Neil Simon characters, same old Neil Simon storylines. For Matthau, this is the same Neil Simon characterization as with his previous ventures into Simon's work. He's much better as Oscar in "The Odd Couple." Ann Margaret is entirely out of place here, but so is the writing and Herbert Ross's direction. Only Dinah Manoff, who reprises her Tony Award winning role, comes off successful in the picture.

I Ought to Be In Pictures was mostly boring. It's about a teenager who goes from New York to Hollywood for acting in the film business and also to be in touch with her dad that she hasn't seen since she was three years old because of a divorce. The relationships weren't anything memorable and there were a few laughs and it kind of ended how it began where not much was accomplished. I was hoping for better because the screenplay is by Neil Simon and the director is Herbert Ross who also directed Simon's The Sunshine Boys with Walter Matthau also in it. Ann-Margret plays Walter's girlfriend and while the performances did their best, the script isn't about much.