Saw it in a theater & subsequently on smaller screens
It is not a perfect comedy, but about as scathing satire as every came out of Hollywood
Richardson worked with the Hollywood Machine on this one & much of the film's charm & power comes from this usually unhappy alliance, though Waugh allegedly tried to disown it
Terry Southern & Christopher Isherwood wrote a trenchant screenplay, if taking liberties in the adaptation
A team work from Haskell Wexler whose wondrous photography caught Los Angeles perfectly & aggressive editing (despite the length) from Hal Ashby combined with a stellar cast were woven into this broad adaptation of Waugh's novel.
The subject is less about funerals & more extremes of Americana through a West Coast lens.
While long, there was much to be said & while some notions may make some wince given contemporary standards, I don't find this as peculiar now as I recall on first viewing. Perhaps at times too broad, but such is the nature of sarcasm, which rarely holds up as well as this flick.
Very black comedy from another age & very worth seeing for fans of such
Review of The Loved One
