The 4th Tenor

If it is true that Rodney Dangerfield "don't get no respect," then it is not for the want of trying. This latest outing into features by the 80-year-old comedian, who had a star unveiled recently on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, keeps the sight gags coming fast although a little restrained.

Rodney is Lupo, the owner of an Italian restaurant who employs singing waiters and waitresses. He is in love with one waitress whose operatic areas pack them in every night but she doesn't return the favor,

understandable as Lupo's singing voice could stop a clock. In a move to impress her, he flies to Italy for the best singing coaches.He has an open checkbook so he is quickly aided and abetted by a couple of con artists who see a crock of gold at the end of this particular rainbow.

If anything, this movie is lighter on extraneous humor and heavier on plot which, in my opinion, is an improvement over his earlier excursions. Dangerfield has good rapport with the assembled cast headed by Robert Davi as the chief antagonist. Once Lupo is in Italy, "The 4th Tenor" takes on a sort of fairy tale quality which increases the entertainment quotient and is sure to please more than the usual Rodney Dangerfield fans.

A comedy like this won't hold up to today's standards. It doesn't have the acidic bite, the sarcasm or the snappy gags that make modern comedies so successful, despite the fact that it was written by & stars Rodney Dangerfield who basically invented acidic bite, sarcasm & snappy gags.

Instead, in this story--the last one Rodney would write for the big screen--he takes us on a trip back to the smooth, human vibe we used to get from the classic comedies with Jimmy Stewart, Tony Curtis, etc. He doesn't play the part of the wisecracking, quick-witted hero you might expect from "Back to School" but instead he plays sort of a schlep, an emotionally downtrodden loser (despite his material success) who evokes our sympathies like a lost puppy dog.

Having read some of the other reviews, I think this takes people by surprise, particularly his fans, who deem his performance sluggish & lackluster. However, if you drop all preconceived notions of what a Rodney film 'should be' and instead approach this as a human story where the wisecracks are merely incidental, you'll really enjoy it. This is Rodney, the real man, not the performer. And I consider it a real treat to catch a glimpse of his human side.

Some of the gags are predictable or outright silly, but then again, can't we say the same thing about a classic Jimmy Stewart comedy? I can't stress enough how much this film reminds me of those bygone movies, right down to the dreamy cinematography (lots of crane shots) and manufactured studio sets (like in the opening scene of a city block on a rainy night: pure nostalgia). I think a lot of care went into establishing this old-timey vibe. It's quite the opposite of the slick & hip "Back to School" (which I loved, by the way). "The 4th Tenor" is more like an 80s Hugh Grant romantic comedy but instead of the face of prettyboy Hugh & his classic British accent, we get the mug of Rodney Dangerfield & his Brooklyn twang. If that image doesn't scare you off, then I think you'll really enjoy the flick.

This is a very predictable romantic comedy. Although he is the main character, we see very little of the Rodney we have come to know and love. We see so little of Vincent Schiavelli, its hard to tell its him. The operatic ingenue-diva, early on, is certainly fetchingly sensual, but her portrayal of a devious wench is unconvincing by any measure. Generally, the acting by all parties is tepid.

There are a few beautiful landscapes of Italy in the movie; watch for them. Sadly, most of the action is shot on a soundstage.

The operatic elements are wonderful, but all too short. The fans of opera will play this soundtrack over and over, and use the DVD as a coaster for their iced latte.

Lose the DVD, save the Soundtrack.

Ironically going from FIVE WIVES to THE 4TH TENOR with an immense change of plot and location and overall vibe, good or bad, seeming more an independent labor-of-love than a cheap comedy that couldn't afford to look like his older vehicles - hell, even LADYBUGS seemed big budget comparably... And the comedic star really seems to be enjoying himself - he hasn't been this energetic for a while. But what does show in his advanced age are the signature bulging eyes having pooped out. Maybe caused by the Las Vegas sauna accident that merited a lawsuit, he can hardly open those loony peepers at all...

Beginning in New York where Dangerfield's character is an Italian restaurant owner where he does his own standup comedy routines, he's comfortable in a role not entirely fiction. He was the owner of a nightclub for comics that was a success in New York City even before his success in movies, but herein he's a loser smitten with a trophy wife that will dump him unless he learns to sing... opera...

Most of the film takes place in Italy, supposedly, where the cinematography has an antique, vintage look like Renaissance paintings. Rodney fits like a paper sack in a rose garden, on purpose, but things begin to mesh when he meets a woman who's right for him despite still being in love with the cheating tramp back home - she's having an affair with ruffian Robert Davi. But when there's not trouble there's love, or the attempt. Probably the most realistic romance of any Dangerfield film. He's not cast with a pretty or cute lady to equal his character's money or the fact that he's an endearing and popular comic (Sally Kellerman is the best example)...

Anita De Simone can both sing and act, and lifts this strange fable higher than it has the right to be since it's really out there. Who knows, perhaps Rodney's personal Rosebud was being a singer instead of a comic... As dull as 4TH TENOR can be, it sure beats Sly Stallone's RHINESTONE... but that's another story.

Being a huge Rodney Dangerfield fan, it was more of a sad than funny experience watching this film. It's not for the simple reason that I know that Rodney is no longer with us, but the fact that he looks extremely sick throughout this movie. His face is pale, his eyes are really puffy. There are quite a few scenes in the film where it's evident that Rodney would've rather been lying in bed than performing. So right off the bat, don't expect that same relentless energy you saw in "Back to School" or "Easy Money." There are even scenes where he screws up the timing of his one-liners. It had nothing to do with incompetence (Hell, Rodney's the GREATEST comedian of all time, in my opinion), but because sickness and old age had gotten to him. Now let's go on to what I did like about "The 4th Tenor." It may not work perfectly as a comedy, but it makes a touching and light-hearted romance. I really did feel for Rodney's character, as the woman who captured his heart would continually blow him off. And I also felt his new-found love for the Italian woman, who would treat him with nothing but love and respect, but is forced to marry the man her father wants her to marry. The movie even has a climax, involving Rodney rushing to the wedding. Normally, I hate when I see that cliché in romantic comedies, but since I was taken by the story, I was able to forgive the cliché. This is in no way a memorable film, and the gags come in an intermittent fashion. I don't think director/comedian Harry Basil was talented enough to find the right balance to make this film work as a comedy. The comedy arrives in a too-little-too-late fashion, amidst handfuls of sentimental moments. If you're in the mood to laugh, I'd better suggest any of Rodney's other films. Or you can simply pop in his great "No Respect" CD. But I enjoyed this film for what it was. It went straight-to-video, and has straight-to-video written all over it. The filmmakers didn't even put in a half-assed effort to make the sets appear like Italy. And the New York scenes were obviously filmed on backlots. Harry Basil's a comedian and not a director, and it shows in his amateurish style.