Man of the Century (1999)

A fine movie, but Wow...The Amazon reviewer missed the point

I'm not an aficionado of old b&w movies. But I guess I've seen enough of them to get Man of the Century's continuous stream of aged references and older jokes. So this movie reminds me (this will take a stretch of the imagination for some) most recently of 2007's Hot Fuzz movie (and my favorite film of the year). Man of the Century resembles it by providing a continuous run of homage moments to previous bits of pop culture, sewn together imaginatively, giving the viewer a constant stream of little thrills at recognizing some of what's being honored.

It's not as seamless as Hot Fuzz -- for one, the main character Johnny Twennie's love-interest's suspicions and confusions about him are too easily discarded at the end, even for a film indulging in stereotypical behaviors of characters in 30s and 40s films. (I suspect some dialogue was cut). But if you enter the world of the film on its own terms (instead of wanting it to be the film of one's expectations, like so many viewers (and reviewers) have done) then it pays off in spades.

I guess I've seen enough rapid-fire dialogue romantic comedies of the mid-twentieth century to fall in love with the style, and this movie fulfills my need for more of it in many spots. About 15 minutes in, when a character refers to Johnny Twennie with "Here comes Zeppo," I instantly accepted the gift the filmmakers had given me, relating him to the 4th Marx Brother, dropped from their films after their earliest ones. The little touches of film history, from an almost Chaplinesque beginning to the detective or suspense film double exposure, impressed me. The integration of stock characters: the eccentric society mother, the black washroom attendant, the waifish young ingenue, the older Italian romantic, even the Chinese opium den (!) were rendered so that this often political-correctness-sensitive reviewer was unoffended. And their characters get contrasted with contemporary stock characters -- the independent young working woman with the incredible job, the kinky guy with the smooth exterior, the corrupt pol, the buffoonish foulmouthed gangsters -- and the older-type characters come out seeming far less sympathetic than the contemporary ones. (So what did you expect?)

The musical numbers function more as interludes than in the Broadway sense, but each is a veritable chestnut, each one undeniably enjoyable by this modern rock loving reviewer.

And the cast! Co-author / co-producer Gibson Frazier was clearly having the time of his life playing Johnny Twennie despite shouldering what were probably substantial indie filmmaker responsibilities. Plus: Anthony Rapp! Gary Beach! Bobby Short! Frank Effin' Gorshin fer gawrsh-sakes! And a few character actors I must admit I'm not experienced enough to claim to have recognized by name, but who I'm sure I've seen act on screen at least a dozen times before.

I won't belabor the points of contention I have with Amazon's reviewer - what I've written above should make them clear. But, compared with the shilling I've seen in Amazon's reviews for modern crap that ultimately is at best a pleasant diversion if you leave your good personal standards behind and expend energy turning off one's uneasiness at every annoying trend-hopping moment, Man of the Century is a relative masterpiece. A delightful film, especially the second time around.

In conclusion, my one line review: "Man of the Century" is the best young Woody Allen movie he never made. June 24, 2008

Joyful little film

I caught this enjoyable flick on cable and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm putting it on my wish list for my upcoming birthday. I enjoyed the premise, and learned to just appreciate Johnny's situation, speech and attitude without needing to know the reason behind his being "stuck in the past". Sometimes, acceptance leads to understanding. Don't take yourself too seriously, and just sit back and let this film work it's way into making you smile. March 4, 2008

very funny musical

I liked this movie very much. the characters were great and the music was terrific. May 13, 2007

For fans of old films

I would imagine the only people interested in buying this film had it recommended by a friend, because there's no other way anyone would even hear of this goofy little film. I loved it, but I can see how some viewers would find it tedious, because the criticisms are correct _ it is a bit of a one-joke movie. But it worked for me. I loved the way Johnnie Twennies's entire dialogue is filled with archaic catchphrases I've only heard in movies from the early 30s and 40s. In one scene, he slaps a man saying something like, "When I slap you, you'll take it and like it." I swear I heard Humphrey Bogart say that in the "The Maltese Falcon" when he slapped Peter Lorre around.
I laughed through the whole movie at the silliness of the premise, and the odd juxtaposition of his phrases, his dress, his whole demeanor in a modern world. I don't know. Maybe it just appealed me because sometimes I just feel like Johnnie Twennies myself.
The song track is right, there are little homages to the predictable scenes those old films always had _ like the cab chase, the nightclub scene, the down on her luck cigarette girl.
Yeah, I liked this film.
February 13, 2007

Quirky, Quaint, and Cute

This is a film about a reporter named Johnny Twenties, a late 20th century man whose demeanor and speech and lifestyle completely reflect the time of the roaring Twenties. Watch Johnny Twenties handle himself peerlessly and fearlessly as he faces off against mobsters and thugs and all others who lack chivalry and respect.

The mob is after him to do a piece on its boss, Elijah Pitts. But when Johnny hedges, they try to make him do it by force. Not everything goes according to plan for Johnny Twenties. But the film is a quaint and quirky parody of a man of another time living in our own time. In this regard, it reminded me of the 1995 Brady Bunch movie, another film where people of another culture and time try to make their way through our own modern world.

This is a relatively short film, coming in at 80 minutes. But I recommend it. An entertaining film. January 18, 2007

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