The World's Greatest Lover

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Audience Member I recently re-discovered this film when a friend was visiting and wanted to see a comedy. Internet was down so I looked through some old DVDs. It took a few minutes to get involved in the film. But we were soon laughing until we cried! And then later in the film it was actually very touching and we were tearing up from emotion. I would have to describe it as an emotional Rollercoaster, which I consider a true achievement. This now on my all time favorites list. Another highlight that seems to evade mention is the very haunting and touching music and lyrics of the film. The credits show that the songs were also written by Gene Wilder. I am not certain what his inspiration was, but they seem truly inspired by someone in love. They are simple and yet captivating. I found myself humming the tunes days later. And my friend was quoting funny snippets from the film, making us both laugh over a week later! Gene Wilder was a truly gifted person. I would say we got our money's worth out of this classic. I even went to search for it on Blu-ray and was really disappointed to find it has not been remastered as of 2019. That's a shame. I would have liked to see it in a high definition format, even though the film itself is somewhat similar to Young Frankenstein in its purposely muted color pallette. If you are looking for a pleasant surprise, this is a true gem. The simple synopsis of the film cannot convey the depth of humor and tenderness that it embodies. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member I can't believe this movie has such a low rating here. This is one of Gene Wilder's funniest movies. When I first saw this movie I knew nothing about it and had zero expectations, which I find often seems to make any movie more enjoyable. Give this movie a chance and I think you will enjoy it. Resist the urge to read descriptive reviews and/or plot summaries. The less you know!! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is hilarious. Why the low rating? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Gene Wilder is at his best, but the rest of the movie fails to live up to him. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member The second film written and directed by Gene Wilder after making his debut with the silly and absurd The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975). Here, Wilder makes a tribute to silent comedies his way, but also gives a nod of gratitude to Federico Fellini along the way. It is a very loud and hysterical film but it does have some good old fashioned laughs along the way. In the 1920's, Rainbow Studios head Adolph Zitz (Dom DeLuise) is upset as the studio is losing profit as they don't have Rudolph Valentino, so they decide to hold a contest to find The World's Greatest Lover, a new star to rival Valentino's popularity. Rudy Hickman (Wilder) is an accident prone and neurotic baker from Milwaukee, who travels out to Hollywood with his wife Annie (Carol Kane), so he can take part in the audition. But, Annie has grown tired in their marriage, and when she goes off to find the real Valentino, Rudy's erratic, neurotic nature gets out of hand, especially in the audition, which manages to impress Zitz. Wilder's brand of comedy is more fierce and loud compared to the films he did with Mel Brooks, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but it does have some good set pieces throughout, and it manages to capture the era of the 1920's really wonderfully. It's better than what some people make it out to be. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Ok, so The World's Greatest Lover is, admittedly, not Gene Wilder's best work as both a performer and a director. However, it's not totally trash either. This movie has a lot of heart and is attempting to do something both sweet and funny. Where the movie lacks in the comedy department, it makes up for in the heart department, for sure. I laughed a lot during the 'Sex with Numbers' scene, which I thought was pretty funny. Other than that one scene, the rest of the movie is void of comedy, at least in my opinion. I highly recommend the movie to genre fans, although most (including myself) will probably enjoy The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother much more. I love Carol Kane, but you can't beat Madeline Kahn. :) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The World's Greatest Lover

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