Much has already been said about the humor. Lemmon and Matthau were never better and went on to make other great films, Grumpy Old Men I and II, Witness, Bad News Bears.
But this film's picture of the lives of middle class white men, pre hippies, is so depressing. They dress alike, act alike, think alike, talk alike. Their homes and existence are drab and dull, living in run down box like apartments. They have no future but more of the same dreariness, and numb themselves with booze and cards.
Watching this film, suddenly I understood the appeal of the hippie counter culture, the children of these drab men, and why they didn't want to be their parents so much they wore goofy clothes, listened to pretentious 15 minute songs, and abused drugs.
So this film works as both a witty comedy about two opposites, but also as a time capsule for Square America. It's the dark side of Leave It to Beaver.
But this film's picture of the lives of middle class white men, pre hippies, is so depressing. They dress alike, act alike, think alike, talk alike. Their homes and existence are drab and dull, living in run down box like apartments. They have no future but more of the same dreariness, and numb themselves with booze and cards.
Watching this film, suddenly I understood the appeal of the hippie counter culture, the children of these drab men, and why they didn't want to be their parents so much they wore goofy clothes, listened to pretentious 15 minute songs, and abused drugs.
So this film works as both a witty comedy about two opposites, but also as a time capsule for Square America. It's the dark side of Leave It to Beaver.