THE IN-LAWS
US, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Michael Douglas, Albert Brooks, Robyn Tunney, David Suchet, Ryan Reynolds, Candice Bergen.
Directed by Andrew Fleming.
When the original was released in 1979, it gave audiences some laughs. It was one of those frantic comedies with odd couple, Alan Arkin and Peter Falk, caught up in international espionage while they were trying to prepare their children's wedding. A re-make? Why? Why not?
I enjoyed this version (updated from Latin America to Europe and post-soviet collapse arms' dealing) and found it funnier and more agreeably frantic than the original. This time a very extraverted and cheery Michael Douglas is the spy while Albert Brooks is the hypochondriac, multi-phobic podiatrist who accidentally gets caught up in the cloak and dagger stuff. Albert Brooks has one of the most hang-dog looks in Hollywood and one of the best deliveries of mournful, feeling-put-upon one-liners. He is perfect for this part. David Suchet hams it up with gusto as the international dealer of anything illegal who takes more than a liking to Brooks. Candice Bergen is the New Age mother of the groom.
The action keeps shifting from marriage doings in Chicago to planes and chateaux in France, always with a nice sense of timing as Douglas is able to use Bond-like ingenuity to get himself and Brooks out of every far-fetched dangerous situation. Always amusing, some good laughs - and both of them learn something from each other to be more attentive to their children and be better parents. And that can't be all bad.
1. An entertaining remake of the 1979 farce? The popularity of this kind of odd couple comedy blended with James Bond-like action?
2. The Chicago settings, family life, affluent families, the wedding preparations, the banquets, the wedding itself? The contrast with the sequences in Prague, Nova Scotia? The sequences at the chateau in France? Aerial sequences? The musical score? The range of songs - and the echoes of past times with such themes as "Live and Let Die"?
3. The title a the focus on the two fathers? Their clashes, differences, shared experiences, lessons learnt?
4. The plausibility of the plot - how important was its credibility? The adventure and comedy combination? The scenes of espionage, Prague, Steven and his contacts, the chase in Prague, the escape with Angela, taking off in the plane, the glider and its explosion, the escape? The further adventures in France, infiltrating the chateau, photographing the documents, getting disks? The submarine, the escape by parachute from the top of the high building, the torpedo and its rounding on the submarine? The special effects and the espionage tone?
5. The plausibility of Steven being in deep cover, Angela as his associate, his dominating her, not letting her take charge, her final betrayal and revenge? Being thrown overboard? The information from the submarine, the sample, the checking of the number file? The selling of the submarine in France? Its being used for all kinds of illegal purposes? It being in Lake Michigan?
6. The contrast with Jerry and his podiatry surgery? Uptight, his not meeting Steven? Steven arriving late for the dinner, his cooking, its being burnt? Going out, the Vietnamese restaurant? The food and his inability to eat the snake? Going to the men's room, overhearing Angela and Steven, assuming the worst? His having to make the escape, his being pursued by the FBI? The family and the FBI raiding their home? His being taken to the headquarters, seeing all the arms? His being chloroformed, taken on the plane, his fear of planes, his hypochondria? His phone calls, wanting to get off, surviving? His going into the French chateau, being eyed off by the dealer? His having to go into the pool to soak the foot? The bikini? Steven finding him? His keeping the dealer occupied? His growing inventiveness for espionage? Their escape with the money? His ringing the FBI, the changing of the venue for the dinner? Steven and his changing the direction of the elevators? The confrontation, the wanting to arrest Jerry, his flight up the roof, meeting Steven on the roof, the embrace, falling over, the parachutes and landing at the monument? His gradually getting a taste for the action? On the motorbike? At the wedding, the submarine, the torpedo, his making a decision to go with Steven, his making the sound to attract the torpedo and return it to the submarine? His attitude towards his wife, towards his daughter, wanting the best for her but whatever he wanted? The contrast with Steven and his absence from home?
7. The newlyweds, Marc, his love for his fiancee, the dinners, his absent father, unable to tell her the truth? Her love for him, the dinner with the girlfriends, the raid from the FBI? Her puzzlement, Gloria telling her about the liaison, her anger? The build-up to the wedding, her reluctance? The ruining of the wedding, the declaration of love for each other, the small group of family on the beach alone? What she wanted?
8. Judy, her separation from Steven, their hating each other, bringing her Buddhist guru, her attitudes, dominance, getting involved in the mix-ups, being held hostage by the dealer? The escape, the marriage, the possibility of their getting together - or not?
9. The dealer, his wealth, the chateau with the decorous men and women? His attraction towards Jerry, flirting with him, his bad foot and Jerry being able to propose the solution? The money deal? His arrival in Chicago, the betrayal by Angela, his taking the money, throwing her overboard? The discovery that the money was not all there? Sending the torpedo, it rounding on the submarine and his jumping ashore? His being arrested - and still flirting with Jerry as he went to prison? Their saying he would enjoy prison?
10. The gallery of minor characters, the fiancee's friends, the family, the guests? The musical group at the reception?
11. The visual humour, verbal humour - the contrast with Michael Douglas's esprit de vie and Albert Brooks and his morose one-liners? A successful comedy?
