The April Fools Review
Positively drenched in the 1960s, The April Fools is extraordinarily dated -- but this is a plus as well as a minus for viewers with an appetite for that decade. Those who delight in the styles, fads, and fashions of the day will find a great deal to enjoy here, especially during the lengthy party sequence that opens the film (and features an almost surreal '60s version of "I Say a Little Prayer for You") and the chicks-in-a-cage nightclub segment. The sense of era also permeates the script, meaning that there's some tasty dialogue mixed in with a great deal of vapid philosophizing, weak one-liners, and ineffective attempts to capture a genuine freedom of spirit. Catherine_Deneuve looks gorgeous and has some affecting moments, but, overall, her performance is disappointingly hesitant and rather shallow. (By contrast, Sally_Kellerman makes her clichéd part feel much fuller than it has any right to be.) Best of all is Jack_Lemmon, delivering another of his deeply felt performances that is both touching and hilarious -- and, at times, chillingly sad. The supporting cast is top notch, and the title song is classic Bacharach and David. Stuart_Rosenberg's direction is rather muddled, but Fools' biggest problem is the screenplay. Still, watching the movie as a time capsule rather than a film can be quite illuminating -- and fun. Craig Butler, Rovi
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