Buddy Buddy (1981)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Billy Wilder's last film is not a classic, but it's still highly enjoyable. Is it as funny as SOME LIKE IT HOT or as wicked as THE APARTMENT? No, but what is? A remake of the French film A PAIN IN THE A..., Walter Matthau is a hit man who has the misfortune of checking into a hotel room next to wacky suicidal Jack Lemmon. Lemmon goes from trying to kill himself to driving Matthau absolutely crazy. There no laugh out loud sequences, but Matthau & Lemmon are priceless. Matthau, with his affected Brooklynese, is hilarious. And who can beat any film that features not only Matthau & Lemmon, but Klaus Kinski and Paula Prentiss as well?!? A wonderfully entertaining film and a real bounce back for Wilder after his inert version of THE FRONT PAGE and his cryptic SUNSET BLVD-like FEDORA.

For what turned out to be his final film, Billy Wilder decided to adapt the French black comedy L'Emmerdeur to America and he and his writing partner I.A.L. Diamond came up with Buddy Buddy. As it turned out I saw this film back to back with Wilder's Kiss Me Stupid. In that one, a whole lot of talented actors couldn't raise it above mediocrity. But in watching Buddy Buddy I failed to see why this one was slammed as bad as it was. It's not anything close to what Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau did in The Fortune Cookie or even in the remake of The Front Page. Still Buddy Buddy does have its moments.Of course the film does hinge on the incomparable chemistry between Lemmon and Matthau and they save the film essentially for Wilder. They are two total strangers whom chance throws together at a most inopportune moment.Matthau is a professional hit-man who's been given the job of killing three stoolies who are to testify at a mob trial. He's got the first two and has a plan set for number three.Then of course he meets Lemmon who is despondent over his wife leaving him for a fake sex therapist. He checks into the same hotel in the room next to Matthau who is readying his hit and tries to commit suicide. For the rest of the film Matthau is forced to take an interest in this schnook's marital problems to keep from committing suicide and bringing a swarm of police to the hotel. Matthau and Lemmon get into some pretty funny situation as there seems to be no end in sight to what can go wrong with a well thought out plan. Lemmon's wife is played by Paula Prentiss and their marriage seems very much modeled on the one Lemmon had in The Fortune Cookie. Things work out just about the same way for the unhappy couple.Things kind of work out for Matthau too in a rather unbelievable way for which you will have to see Buddy Buddy. And while it's not like some of the great Wilder classics of the Fifties when Billy was at his creative best, it's far from the worst film he could have gone out on.

This was Billy Wilder's last film. The movie stars Walter Matthau as a hit man who quickly gets p***ed with Jack Lemmon who keeps bothering him with his problems. Matthau just wants to finish his job and Lemmon won't let him. There is hardly anything funny in here expect for a couple of small laughs. You should watch The Fortune Cookie instead.

This film features another brilliant performance from the veteran comedy duo, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau (sadly, both recently deceased). I shouldn't have to say anymore to sell this film to you. If you're a fan of Lemmon and Matthau then you'll love this film, if you're not, then you're philistines and who cares what you think anyway?This lovely example of early 1980s comedy features Matthau as an assassin who's been hired by the Mob to "off this stoolie". During the execution (no pun intended) of this task he bumps into Victor Clooney (Lemmon), a weird little man, whose wife has left him and joined a sex-colony. I can honestly say that I feel no need whatsoever to elaborate any further. As I said, Lemmon and Matthau's names in the credits was enough to make me watch this film and I'm so glad I did. It's hilarious! If you don't find this film funny then check your pulse because you're probably dead.8.5/10