When you talk to many people about Jerry Lewis and his films, you often get extreme reactions. Some think he's a genius--one of the greatest film comics of all time. This is apparently true in much of the world outside the United States. Others think his films are terrible and would never watch them. Well, me being a compulsive nut about films, in the last couple years I have sought out his films and have seen most of them (a few, such as "The Day the Clown Cried" are not available). And, overall, I have come to feel that you cannot call his films good or bad--some are exceptional and some are terrible. This is true of most filmmakers and comics. So, when I say bad things about "Cinderfella", understand I am NOT anti-Lewis--I just think this film in particular is very, very weak. Why? Well, three main reasons sink this film--which I'll talk about below.
"Cinderfella" is a reworking of the traditional Cinderella story with a few big changes. Instead of women, it's a guy's story--with wicked step-brothers, a male protagonist and a fairy godFATHER. Another is that it's set in the present day--so you'll see cars, mansions in Beverly Hills and the like.
The film finds Jerry playing a person named 'Fella' (??). He lives with his nasty step-mother and step-brothers in a fancy mansion. Apparently, somewhere on the property some fortune is hidden--but no one knows where it is. In an odd (actually, BIZARRE) twist, Fella's dead father talks to him in dreams and tries to tell him where the money is hidden. This part of the story, to me, wasn't entirely necessary. Anyway, the rest is a lot like the original story--with a Ball, Fella working like a slave in his home and the rest.
So why was I less than thrilled with the film? The biggest problem was the singing. While Lewis' singing isn't bad, and occasionally pretty good in some films, here it is rather poor--and he does it many, many times. One song might have worked, but for a non-singer, four is too many and each time he sang, the film ground to a halt. Second, and it is also a biggie, is that the film just wasn't funny. Too few of the jokes worked and, frankly, there just weren't that many attempts at laughs. In contrast, in "The Bellboy" (which I really liked), the jokes came so rapidly that even if they didn't work each time, you kept laughing. Here, there were fewer attempts and too many serious moments. Finally, in too many scenes, the director (not Lewis in this case) overdid the scenes. For example, Jerry doesn't just comb his hair like a normal guy, he had to comb it 'wacky'--and took too long combing his hair! And, as Fella did his household chores, each time it was so overdone and overlong that it strained my nerves. Overall, a clear misfire and among Lewis' weakest films. Not terrible--just not all that good.
"Cinderfella" is a reworking of the traditional Cinderella story with a few big changes. Instead of women, it's a guy's story--with wicked step-brothers, a male protagonist and a fairy godFATHER. Another is that it's set in the present day--so you'll see cars, mansions in Beverly Hills and the like.
The film finds Jerry playing a person named 'Fella' (??). He lives with his nasty step-mother and step-brothers in a fancy mansion. Apparently, somewhere on the property some fortune is hidden--but no one knows where it is. In an odd (actually, BIZARRE) twist, Fella's dead father talks to him in dreams and tries to tell him where the money is hidden. This part of the story, to me, wasn't entirely necessary. Anyway, the rest is a lot like the original story--with a Ball, Fella working like a slave in his home and the rest.
So why was I less than thrilled with the film? The biggest problem was the singing. While Lewis' singing isn't bad, and occasionally pretty good in some films, here it is rather poor--and he does it many, many times. One song might have worked, but for a non-singer, four is too many and each time he sang, the film ground to a halt. Second, and it is also a biggie, is that the film just wasn't funny. Too few of the jokes worked and, frankly, there just weren't that many attempts at laughs. In contrast, in "The Bellboy" (which I really liked), the jokes came so rapidly that even if they didn't work each time, you kept laughing. Here, there were fewer attempts and too many serious moments. Finally, in too many scenes, the director (not Lewis in this case) overdid the scenes. For example, Jerry doesn't just comb his hair like a normal guy, he had to comb it 'wacky'--and took too long combing his hair! And, as Fella did his household chores, each time it was so overdone and overlong that it strained my nerves. Overall, a clear misfire and among Lewis' weakest films. Not terrible--just not all that good.