Man of the Century

I've always been fascinated by the way the characters in old movies talk, with their lightning-fast wits and one-liners. So the idea of a man stuck in the 20's and speaking like those characters sounded intriguing to me. And I was impressed. Gibson Frazier perfectly inhabits his fish-out-of-water character, not missing a single beat. I can tell him and the co-writer/director did much research prior to making this movie. There are moments, like the climactic scene, which pay homage to the old slapstick farces.

"Man of the Century" is funny, original and bursting with imagination. It's an independent gem. And at only about 78 minutes, it's short and sweet. Those who are unfamiliar with old movies may not be as amused, but those who are familiar should have a ball.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Some movies are just meant to be a great deal of fun, and this is one of them. What a delight - I'd never heard of it but stumbled on it on IFC and adored it. The sweetness and good-natured aspects of the film are part of the charm, as is the dead-on dialogue, situations and even camera angles/cinematography. For people who try and find reasons why this guy exists or why women would date him, you're missing the point of the movie. The Marx Brothers ending (no spoiler really), and the short Egyptian tomb sequence show the care that was taken with getting all the 1920's aspects down perfectly (and don't forget the musical numbers, when people would break into song in any sort of film back then -well, the talkies at least). Going incognito as Harold Lloyd? too funny - don't pass this one by when it shows up next time!

I chanced to see this on a Blockbuster shelf and in the dearth of anything else worth seeing, decided to take a chance. How glad I am! This is the funniest movie I've seen in years. In spite of being the original tightwad, I've ordered the DVD and have even sent one to my son whose humor runs in the same crooked gully as mine. The gimmick of a living anachronism is a powerful one indeed but to someone like myself who was raised on reporter movies of the 20s, who saw Cagney, Raft and Powell play these kinds of roles, using the same slang and expressions, now so out of date, I literally howled with delight. The acting is wonderful. As one reviewer here noted, everyone seemed to be having a delightful time. The film is just great, from the scratchy opening credits to the final scenes. Also, if you get the DVD, be sure and check out the reference section and scene set-up after the film is over. They are just delightful. Plot? What plot? The story is an eternal one: Virtuous young man in the face of chaos struggles to maintain the fabric of order in a basically disorderly universe while falling in love and being too virtuously shy to declare his feelings to the girl he loves, beating up bad guys and defending the honor of helpless young women and, revealing to the world the archvillain at the root of the evil in the empire. And, he does it all without getting dirty, mussed or messed up and losing sight of his goal. Wow. Get this. See it. Share it. It's just too damn good to miss. You'll be glad you did, kiddo.

If Harold Lloyd had lived in 1999 and Woody Allen starred him in a new black and white film set in MANHATTAN, well this would be it. The idea for this film is very funny and it does deliver, musical numbers and all....there is even a Shanghai Lil style detour. It could have easily been more of a musical and easily have tossed in more episodes of Johnny Twennies wrangling modern mannerisms. Gibson Frasier is a real silent movie or Vitaphone hero and the IT girl sensibilities of 'his girl' works. It is only 77 minutes and I actually wanted more. As Johnny says in one very funny toss away line........RATS! The soundtrack which I also have at home as a Saturday morning pick-me-up is cute and accurate for the feel of the film.

I read Ebert's review of Man of the Century back in 1999, and wanted to see it ever since. Just noticed it on the Blockbuster new releases shelf and immediately forget what it was I went there for. What a treat this little gem is! The wisecracking dialogue, the homage to old movies, the snappy old songs and even some neat dance scenes contribute to the offbeat comedy. Unless you are a teenager with a 5 minute attention span and a chip on your shoulder, you will love this film.