The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

Masterful Cinema

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Movies like the Prisoner of Second Avenue, from the mid-1970's, make us realize how much the world has changed. New York City was typical of the times with property crime, unemployment, recession, union strikes, power outages, etc. making people feel uncomfortable with the quality of everyday life. When Mel suddenly loses his job after 22 years with the same company, he suffers from the anxiety of a man trying to find an explanation. Going over the edge, he takes to shouting mild expletives from his balcony at the prim and proper neighbours overhead. In those day, words like ass and hell were considered unfit for public use. Mel gets a bucket of water thrown at him for using such language within the earshot of children. The repartee between Edna and Mel is funny and off the wall but not nearly as much as the baby boom humour of the 1970's was to people at the time. The acting of Jack Lemmon as Mel and Anne Bancroft as Edna is outstanding although the lines have lost their zing. His tirades against the world and the plot against the working class is much less targeted than today's politics and the world of the one per cent. In those days, people were lashing out; now they want action against the rich, against ISIS, Not only have times changed but we don't joke about more sinister crimes like mass shootings, or attacks and bombings against innocents by groups far more dangerous than muggers and burglars. Traditional crime is down, only now replaced by fear of more serious crime. One amusing scene shows Mel chasing a young Sylvestre Stallone across the lawns and terraces of Central Park. Eventually Mel tackles and brings down the guy he sees as a young punk. A victory for him against the forces of evil? It is interesting to see his response. It is also informative to see how the couple come to terms with the changed circumstances.

Modern day New York City couple struggles with day-to-day hardships while living in the treacherous Big Apple. Jack Lemmon has yet another series of Neil Simon-scripted nervous breakdowns--too soon after "The Out-of-Towners". In fact, within the first 15 minutes of "Prisoner", we're reminded of "The Out-of-Towners", "The Apartment" and "Save the Tiger". It's a replay of themes--Jack Lemmon's Greatest Hits. Often times, there's simply no point to Lemmon's ranting, and the sources of his anger (unemployment, crime, etc.) are expressed as personal diatribes--these are his exclusive problems rather than universal frustrations. Anne Bancroft is touching as Jack's put-upon spouse, though not even she can save the perplexing finish, which throws everything out the window for the sake of an innocuous chuckle. ** from ****

I'll admit from the off, I am slightly biased as I love Jack Lemmon, and Neil Simon seems to bring out the best in him The Prisoner Of Second Avenue is a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it. Plot In A Paragraph: Executive Mel Edison has a nervous breakdown when he suddenly finds himself unemployed. I'm a Jack Lemmon fan anyway, so I enjoy most things that he stars in, and I always enjoy seeing him on screen. It's also fun to see a young pre-Rocky Sly Stallone in another of his early roles. Sly only has the one scene (Available on YouTube) as he attempts to pickpocket Jack Lemmon and a fed up Lemmon snaps, before he turns the tables on him and pursues him through Central Park.

For some reason, I only think us New Yorkers would appreciate this movie, but maybe not.Anyone aware of what Manhattan was like in the 1970s will know this movie really nailed it; it terms of location shots, attitudes, Jewish stereotypes, and so on. This was a pre-Koch time in New York (May he rest in peace- he just passed a couple days ago. Great mayor, great person) and city was at the beginning stages of becoming an open sewer.Street scenes will surprise all modern-day Manhattanites; I watched this movie several times, and there's not a single store or shop around then that survives today. (Near 87th & 2nd Ave.) So sad. Jack Lemmon's character was funny, from start to finish, without TRYING to be funny. Always a treat- watch for Sly Stallone as a "mugger."