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Siskoid's avatar

Siskoid

How very weird! I was eventually completely sold on Pennies from Heaven (the 1981 feature version), but it took a while. What you're faced with: A period musical in which Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters, among others, lipsynch to 1930s musical numbers (but... but... you had Bernadette Peters RIGHT THERE!!!), with ludicrous dance numbers (not a bad thing) going on in the characters' minds. And it's depressing as hell, contrasting the happy-ever-after escapism of musicals with the harsh reality of Depression-era Middle America. And once you realize that's what's going on, that it is essentially a deconstructionist piece, it starts to make sense and though a very black comedy, fun in its way. It takes the tropes of those old musical comedies and gives them a realistic spin, so the cad isn't so charming, the love affairs not so romantic, and the endings not so happy. In fact, everyone you would care for in a normal movie, you probably won't. Pennies From Heaven might even push the ugliness over the line, at times, but it has a way of getting its teeth into you.
5 years 1 month ago
Sien's avatar

Sien

https://ok.ru/video/207351974466
5 years 10 months ago
estiedelruth's avatar

estiedelruth

This may be an interesting way to link modern with the classics. The musical numbers were cleverly done although quite silly at times. If the storyline had been a little classier or more typically 1930s then this would have been a much more enjoyable film.
10 years 12 months ago
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