Selected critic comments for "Sheila":
Since I'm told that (Stephen) Sondheim and (Anthony) Perkins are serious game people, I assume that the plot, if run backward, would make sense. More important to me was the generally festive air in which all this genteel mayhem takes place, as well as the rather charming, Agatha Christie manners that are observed. As plot points are explained, people get themselves drinks from the bar. If someone is murdered, the pall of gloom lasts for a maximum of five minutes. -- Vincent Canby, The New York Times
The movie was written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, and they exhibit a very fine eye for showbiz behavior and dialog. They've also played a sort of Jacqueline Susann guessing game for us; we can have fun wondering who the bitchy agent (Dyan Cannon) was inspired by, or the down-at-his luck director (James Mason), or the sexpot (Raquel Welch, who may very well have been inspired by herself). -- Roger Ebert
The Last Of Sheila's chief failing lies in its overemphasis on tricky construction, which gets in the way of its lightly bitchy '70s Hollywood exposé. The Sheila DVD release is invaluable because it adds a gossipy commentary track by Benjamin and Cannon, with drop-in comments by Welch (recorded separately). All were A-list actors when they starred in Sheila, and hearing them reminisce about socializing on the set in the south of France provides an open window onto the slick, professional side of '70s show business that Sondheim and Perkins are skewering. It's diverting as nostalgia and as middlebrow drama. -- Noel Howard, The A.V. Club
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6 comments:
I couldn't disagree more with Howard, who said that the construction was too tricky. I'm the dumbest guy in the world when it comes to watching movies, and I followed it quite well. I consider a lot of good movies too tricky for me, and this was not one of them.
I love the Canby comments! It's so true that there was a "generally festive air in which all this genteel mayhem takes place." And people always take a drink when something is being explained. And the deaths don't seem to matter for very long.
That's a great critique!
For some reason, I felt that the tie to Hollywood was clunky. I didn't find it very believable. It looked to me like it was written by outsiders -- sort of like a porn movie about Hollywood would be.
Most of the reviewers say how it's sort of an insider's joke on Hollywood, and that part falls flat for me just because of the date of the film. I like the general bitchiness, though.
The festive air keeps it fun, doesn't it? No matter what happens, it's always happy hour. Have you ever seen "The Thin Man" movies? William Powell and Myrna Loy? They're kind of like that.
I liked the bitchiness, too, and all the casual drinking while discussing murders. Someone was always chipping ice! Hehe
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