The Cameraman

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Leaburn O This film was good 👍🏼 Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/13/23 Full Review William L The Cameraman is a bit slow to start and unfocused for the first 75% of its runtime, a loosely connected series of scenes that seem to be padding for time rather than comedic effect (which is odd considering that the MGM writing department apparently used the film to train new writers as a "perfectly constructed comedy" for decades). Perhaps it's just the age of the film showing, but this later-career Keaton seems a bit less timeless than some of his other projects that showcased his incredible talent for physical comedy, the storytelling feels less organic as well. That said, some of the later scenes (beginning with the Tong War) absolutely turn the tide of the film, bringing out the slapstick to full effect with 'show, don't tell' effects like the legs of the camera being shot out during an exchange of gunfire. Overall we might chalk up some of the limitations of The Cameraman to studio interference in Keaton's creative process, which we can see from his independent productions was formidable when given a solid budget and minimal oversight. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/05/22 Full Review william d The story is just an excuse for the gags, but the gags are very good. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Jesse D Non stop action and humor. Absolutely incredible. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/21 Full Review Audience Member It's a sweet enough story - a penniless hawker tries to win the hand of a beautiful secretary at a newsreel office by buying a cheap broken film camera and almost accidentally capturing the turf war that breaks out in Chinatown. There are extended sequences at a swimming pool and a regatta. The problem simply is that - while it passes the time and is nicely performed - it's not very funny. Laurel and Hardy and W.C. Fields would have mined similar scenarios for bigger laughs and pathos. Keaton is always physically adept but too mechanical to elicit laughs. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member What sets Buster Keaton apart from other comedians from the silent era, is his big death-defying stunts. He has these dramatic moments with moving vehicles, and collapsing set pieces, that must have taken hours of preparation to get right. Amazingly, he makes it all appear so simple that he could put Tom Cruise to shame. Not to mention, it doesn’t appear he ever used any safety gear when doing these things. There are some of his signature big scenes in The Cameraman, and each time I was delighted with the result. However, the rest of the film, most of the gags were a bit one-note. Several times they returned to the idea of too many people in a small space that caused Keaton a problem as he was forced to squeeze in or was pushed around. The entire dating sequence fell a little flat for me because of the way they kept using this trope, and I welcomed the scene once they got in the swimming pool, as it was a change of pace. The story of The Cameraman is a charming one. I liked the idea of this simple man who buys a camera to try and impress a girl, but finds that filming the news is harder than it seems. There were a lot of entertaining ups-and-downs in his journey, and his interactions with the police officer were hilarious. I enjoyed how they added the monkey as a companion early on, and that he became a vital part of the story as the film progressed. I still think the romance is where the whole movie stalled out for me. I know it was important to have that relationship at the core of the story, because it provides more heart and emotional stakes. However, any time Keaton didn’t have his camera in tow, I was less interested in what was happening. As a whole, The Cameraman lined up right alongside the other Buster Keaton films I’ve seen. It was an entertaining watch, but isn’t something I can see myself returning to on a regular basis. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/20 Full Review Read all reviews

The Cameraman

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