Foul Play had the potential to be another Charade or Hopscotch, but it's neither of those movies. I don't think it's even any of the movies it more explicitly wants to be. Essentially a Hitchcock spoof, it stars Goldie Hawn as a Hitchcockian heroine, a normal person caught up in an assassination plot filled with strange characters from the pulpiest Noir when someone puts evidence in her purse and all the bad guys come looking for it. Unfortunately, the direction is so bog standard, you can't really tell they're trying to quote the great suspense director (they kind of manage Bullitt at one point, but that's just normal for shooting in San Francisco) other than in the basic plot elements. And the humor is sporadically way too broad, even cartoonish. I groaned at the extended humiliation of a little person, and felt embarrassed for Burgess Meridith during his kung fu scene. If it were all broad like that, it might be more acceptable. But it isn't. These moments are just jarring. Chevy Chase left SNL for pictures, and this was his first, but he's nearly a non-entity as the maverick cop here, and kind of creepy as the romantic lead, certainly not allowed to do more than a couple of his patented slapstick bits. Had he been more prominent and in full Chevy mode, that might have excused the film's broad comedy. Strangely, the highlight for me (aside from Goldie Hawn who is, as ever, very cute and fun) was Dudley Moore, the one zany non-villain that recurs though the narrative. That's the kind of humor (character-based) that, coupled with the genre take-downs, might have improved Foul Play, but as is, it grows progressively more tedious.
Silly 70ies comedy thriller. Hadn't seen it in 30 years. Hasn't aged well. Hawn and Chase make a cute couple but movie is too much a farce to be thrilling, Still entertaining 90min.
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Siskoid
Foul Play had the potential to be another Charade or Hopscotch, but it's neither of those movies. I don't think it's even any of the movies it more explicitly wants to be. Essentially a Hitchcock spoof, it stars Goldie Hawn as a Hitchcockian heroine, a normal person caught up in an assassination plot filled with strange characters from the pulpiest Noir when someone puts evidence in her purse and all the bad guys come looking for it. Unfortunately, the direction is so bog standard, you can't really tell they're trying to quote the great suspense director (they kind of manage Bullitt at one point, but that's just normal for shooting in San Francisco) other than in the basic plot elements. And the humor is sporadically way too broad, even cartoonish. I groaned at the extended humiliation of a little person, and felt embarrassed for Burgess Meridith during his kung fu scene. If it were all broad like that, it might be more acceptable. But it isn't. These moments are just jarring. Chevy Chase left SNL for pictures, and this was his first, but he's nearly a non-entity as the maverick cop here, and kind of creepy as the romantic lead, certainly not allowed to do more than a couple of his patented slapstick bits. Had he been more prominent and in full Chevy mode, that might have excused the film's broad comedy. Strangely, the highlight for me (aside from Goldie Hawn who is, as ever, very cute and fun) was Dudley Moore, the one zany non-villain that recurs though the narrative. That's the kind of humor (character-based) that, coupled with the genre take-downs, might have improved Foul Play, but as is, it grows progressively more tedious.Earring72
Silly 70ies comedy thriller. Hadn't seen it in 30 years. Hasn't aged well. Hawn and Chase make a cute couple but movie is too much a farce to be thrilling, Still entertaining 90min.