Comme au bon vieux temps

Every line is a hilarious pun or joke. Seems to be a remake of Talk of the Town (black and white movie, 1942), which was more of a drama than a comedy. Same plot of "love triangle", based on help from an old flame, up against an adversary running for public office, who is trying to avoid bad press. The hero, wrongly accused, even uses the same hiding places throughout the flick. Yvonne Wilder steals the show as the house-keeper Aurora, who runs a tight ship amid all the confusion of the pack of dogs always running around; She speaks her mind yelling things "under her breath". It isn't any Shakespeare, but its all around fun for all ages, and has a clever screenplay. Charles Grodin is the dour, serious husband who is trying to hold his position as Husband. The chemistry between Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn is amazing, and you can sense the conflict that the married Goldie Hawn feels as she tries to avoid falling back in love with Chevy Chase. Some great one-liners from Chevy Chase - he seems to be answering his own question half the time, and the jokes are for the benefit of the audience and Chevy himself.

This movie just gave me a good feeling. The chemestry between Hawn, Grodin, and Chase was great. Chevy Chase like always has some very funny slapstick moments. The movie kind of got unfairly thrown into the Chevy Chase's pile of flops(Under The Rainbow, Modern Problems, Deal Of The Century, ect.), this is som much better than all of those, I even thought it was better than Foul Play. If you like

Chevy Chase or Goldie Hawn, watch this movie.

I wouldn't say Neil Simon's comic wit is at full steam in this light-hearted comedy, but there are certainly a plethora of laughs to go around.

Chevy Chase's Nick Gardenia is offishly matter-of-fact funny as only he can be, a writer and journalist (have you noticed Simon's protagonists are nearly always writers?) of ill-repute who somehow once ended up in a Mexican jail for 2 years and is now on the path to recovery when a couple of bank robbers kidnap and use him for a heist. His mug is prominently featured in the robbery photos and then the fun ensues when he goes to his ex-wife's (Hawn's) house to engender her help after being let go by the robbers and being fully on the run from the law.

The movie is mostly fast-paced slapstick farce, a host of retreaded clichés (the dogs, for example), and quick jokes. Charles Grodin is actually quite funny and charming as her straight-arrow District Attorney (soon to be Attorney General) husband, Ira. Given "Midnight Run," I think Grodin should be considered a mint for American glib comedy a la Albert Brooks.

It's pointless to go much deeper into the story as the plot merely drives slapstick scenes one into the next. The story is essentially the sum of its parts.

Goldie Hawn is in full-tilt cutie mode (she really was a doll) but carries the movie very well as a hopeless do-gooder who wants to help everybody, including her ex-husband and every stray dog in 10 surrounding counties. Chevy Chase often gives the impression of making comedy look effortless (think Fletch), but he is REALLY giving into pratfalling a la his SNL days in this one. The supporting cast with Guillaume and others is excellent.

This is completely worth a watch if you catch it as in many ways this movie is superior to the Hawn and Chase hit "Foul Play."

Some very funny lines in this cute but wobbly screwball comedy from writer Neil Simon, reuniting "Foul Play" stars Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase as ex-marrieds thrown together again after Chase is forced to rob a bank and seeks refuge with Hawn, who has a new husband. The film is overrun with noise: barking dogs, disco music, and broad characters such as a howling maid and an inept valet. One scene (with Chevy hiding underneath a bed and Charles Grodin stepping on his finger) had the movie audience rolling in the aisles, but that sequence looks pretty desperate when seen on TV (it's just the sort of stunt a situation comedy would use, but there's no laugh-track here). Goldie is pretty and sweet; she's softer here and less politicized than in "Private Benjamin" (which beat this into theaters by about two months). Chevy continually loses character and drifts, but Grodin is funny, frustrated but not irritating, and the supporting players are colorful, despite all the bickering. **1/2 from ****

This movie is great. Very funny and the whole cast is very enjoyable but the GREAT Goldie Hawn stands out.