Buddy Buddy

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Buddy Buddy

R

1981

1h 36m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

A suicidal businessman (Jack Lemmon) and a mob hit man (Walter Matthau) thwart each other through adjoining hotel rooms.

Variety Staff

Variety

A certain lack of care and even thought permeate the effort, from script to casting to execution.

Oct 17, 2019

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Time Out

There is some byplay with doubles, disguises and mistaken identity, but the rest is all bland Panavision, dreary back projection, and laboured dialogue.

Feb 9, 2006

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

This movie is appalling. It made me want to rub my eyes.

Rated: 1.5/4

Oct 23, 2004

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…plays better without the burden of expectations that Wilder’s reputation brought to it…

Rated: 3/5

Nov 30, 2023

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Diego Galán

El Pais (Spain)

The friendly collaboration between the three men transcends the images and communicates to the public a relaxed, entertaining, and cordial atmosphere. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 21, 2019

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Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

Wilder keeps the action moving at such a hectic pace that we forget most of the film is set claustrophobically in a hotel room. At 75, the old master has a lot to teach younger sprouts about the proper care and handling of true knockabout farce.

Mar 26, 2009

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Blu B

Nothing about this is broken at all for having such an infamous reputation, but nothing is particulary good either. The setup is kind of clever, Matthau isn't bad, and you can see flashes of Wilder here and there but nothing meaningful. The biggest problem here is it isn't that particulary funny. None of the humor is bad but 90-95% of it just falls flat. Lemmon comes across more annoying than anything at times here. Everything is just fundamentally ok. The direction is basic lots of times and it kind of loses focus. It can't really tie in Lemmon's romance troubles well with the hired killer story into anything funny or particulary clever. If there is one credit I can give it, it's that it never feels like stuff just happens. It's just it's never funny or really goes anywhere. Skip It. There are plenty of better comedies with this duo and Wilder, but this isn't one of them.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/14/24

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Thomas H

Excellent forgotten outing starting Lemmon and Matthau

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/10/23

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Audience Member

Between 2.5 and 3 stars. Of course, not the best story from the wonderful Wilder-Lemmon-Matthau trio, but it has a few laughs.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

Well i'm in it and would like to see again. people should look at it as an inside joke therefore making the humor a bit funnier.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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Audience Member

Very funny movie. I saw this back in 1981 when it came out. It has never been released on DVD or Blu Ray and it needs to be.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Christopher S

i remember it as being hilarious. i plan on watching it again this evening too see how much my sense of humour may have changed over the past few decades.i KNOW for certain that my taste for all other things Wilder hasn't changed one whit thus far.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/03/19

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Billy Wilder

Director

Jack Lemmon

Victor Clooney

Walter Matthau

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Synopsis

A suicidal businessman (Jack Lemmon) and a mob hit man (Walter Matthau) thwart each other through adjoining hotel rooms.

Director: Billy Wilder
Producer: Jay Weston
Screenwriter: I.A.L. Diamond, Billy Wilder
Production Co: Heron Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 36m