Storyline:
A
Broadway producer (Nathan Lane) with a long string of failures teams up with
his nebbish accountant (Matthew Broderick) to produce a flop in order to
pocket the investments of little old ladies in a show that has no profit.
But their Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolph and Eva at
Berchtesgaden is a surprise hit, exposing their fraud.
As a matter of fact, Stroman's minimal-change
approach works well enough, especially for fans of the musical. For them, it
will probably seem just fine, essentially a reprise of the raucous stage
work that they relished in the first place, with the bonus of seeing Nathan
Lane's googly eyes up close. For newcomers to the work, the film might seem
both dated and bombastic. Stroman once or twice moves beyond the studio and
tries shooting in real New York, but in such instances, nothing is added
(for example, when "Along Came Bialy," the number with dozens of dancing old
maids in walkers moves out on to Fifth Avenue) and the mood of silly
caricature is somewhat broken. In general, though, she stages the dance
numbers well for the screen, letting the camera stand back to see the real
steps rather than indulging in the jump-cutting around the dancers that mars
some recent movie musicals (viz. Chicago).
For sure, The Producers is both garrulous and
garish, loud and lusty. There is nothing subtle here; the primary direction
is right over the top. The players all work hard, perhaps too hard in some
cases. Nathan Lane's Max Bialystock is raging -- and very funny -- and in select
moments brings back an uncanny feeling of Zero Mostel in the original film.
He is also very musical, in voice and body, more so than his co-star,
Matthew Broderick (Leo Bloom), an adequate nerd who sings with a reedy voice
and whose conventional baby face makes his hysterics seem forced. His bland
looks work best in the up-beat "I Wanna Be A Producer." Will Ferrell
and Uma Thurman, the only principals not from the original cast, come on
strong to start and never let up as nutty Nazi Franz Liebkind, author of the
worst stage work ever, Springtime for Hitler, and Ulla, Swedish
wench-cum-secretary with legs up to her neck. With their one-note
performances and ripe accents, I felt their schticks went on too long,
though Ferrell does a good job with the eminently goofy "Haben Sie Gahört
Das Deutsche Band," and Thurman moves well in a dance duet with Broderick.
Among original cast members, Gary Beach and Roger Bart almost flame out in
reprising their parts as a stunningly gay director and his (Wo)Man Friday.
Though it may be coarse and crude, what still
works in The Producers is Mel Brooks' outlandish sensibility -- his
equal opportunity mockery of every class and kind -- and his still golden
one-liners, right out of the Borscht Belt. The film is also, in its
blunderbuss way, a rude, yet sweet, valentine to The Show Business and all
its bathos and nuttiness. The Producers is a long stroll (with kicks)
down the Great White Way, leaving some gum stains and dog poop behind.
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks. Screenplay by
Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan based on the musical. Directed and
Choreographed by Susan Stroman. Cinematography by John Bailey and Charles
Minsky. Editing by Steven Weisberg. Production Design by Mark
Friedberg. Costume Design by William Ivey Long. Principal cast: Nathan Lane,
Matthew Broderick, Will Ferrell, Uma Thurman, Gary Beach, Roger Bart, Bryn
Dowling, Eileen Essell, Meg Gillentine, Jon Lovitz, John Barrowman. |
