The Odd Couple Movie Reviews Examples

Introduction The Odd Couple is a film written by Neil Simon. It is an American comedy with a unique theme. The film stars two divorced men, Felix (Jack Lemmon), a clean freak and perfectionist, and Oscar (Walter Matthau), crude, disorganized divorced man whose life can be likened to slob. The two men decide to co-habit despite their different personalities, and the results are disastrous.Plot Oscar feels incomplete without his wife and kids. He misses them and wishes he could have been more supportive (by making his alimony payments) than he was. Felix also wallows in self pity when he is free because he was thrown out by his wife.
The two men meet by chance after Felix separates from his wife of twelve years. He gets depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, a plan he later abandons and moves in with his friend, Oscar. The perfectionist (Felix) and the slob (Oscar) argue consistently, and a harmonious coexistence of the two extreme personalities seems impossible as a result of the two extreme personalities. The two unknowingly form an uncommon marital arrangement whereby Felix seems to assume the role of “the nagging wife” and Oscar the “unappreciative husband” who never fulfills his word or arrives anywhere on time. He is a disorganized spendthrift, wasting his money on gambling and unnecessary dinners. However, the whole scenario ends with a twist whereby (after separating) the friends get close and appreciate and respect their diversity.
This arrangement barely lasts a month and by the end, all viewers sympathize with their ex wives. The tears, laughter and arguments that characterize the two friends bring out the theme clearly, and Oscar’s sense of humor is enough to keep any audience on their toes.Aspects of Ageism However, the manner in which the film presents ageism is wanting. It is unfortunate that the film presents aged people in a negative light. This implies that aged citizens have extreme personalities to the extreme. It also creates the impression that no aged person can be balanced. This is portrayed in the behavior of the stars whereby one is a slob and the other a neurotic who is overly possessive.
Another negative aspect portrayed in the film is that old people lack of self control and understanding. This is evident through the manner in which Oscar and Felix argue over minor issues and never seem to reach an agreement. The fact that normalcy also settles in after the intervention of the two beautiful neighbors tends to look down upon the reasoning capability of old people. However, it is immoral to assume that old people never show respect and understanding; that is a narrative given by people with a fixed mind about old people.
The action of old people in the film was exaggerated, which is very unfair in judging them in the real world. This is especially seen in the way the films approves stereotyping. Aged people are portrayed as helpless humans who cannot make sensible decisions on their own.Conclusion The Odd couple has been played over and over under different actors and directors. The original one was a series, developed by Garry Marshall, starring Tony Randall as Felix and Jack Klugman as Oscar. The humor incorporated into the film makes it worth watching. The orchestra played in the background also brings out emotions as they should be. However, the film portrays aging in a negative light by depicted the aged as helpless people who cannot control themselves.