Ogden Mears (Marlon Brando) is the son of an oil tycoon and an ambassador for peace. He's rumored to be the next Secretary of State but the President picks someone else. He travels the globe trying to save it. His cruise ship arrives in Hong Kong and he is presented to three Russian aristocratic beauties who escaped dire circumstances in Shanghai. One of them is Countess Natascha (Sophia Loren). She's hiding in Ogden's room as a stowaway to America.
It's royalty from two different cinematic eras. Charles Chaplin is the filmmaker. Brando and Loren are the stars. I got surprised when the actors start doing screwball comedy until I realized that Chaplin is making this. He shot it like an old stage play inside that room. It is notable for being Chaplin's last. I can see the reason for the critical dismissal but I find Brando and Loren trying to do slapstick rather endearing. I even laugh a few times. They take their serious acting skills and go slip on a banana peel. It's somewhat fun. Even when the movie spreads out, there is still a smallness to the comedy. It's little moves and slights of hand. They are not the types to go big and broad with the humor. It's a bunch of serious actors trying to be wacky and that's weirdly funny.
It's royalty from two different cinematic eras. Charles Chaplin is the filmmaker. Brando and Loren are the stars. I got surprised when the actors start doing screwball comedy until I realized that Chaplin is making this. He shot it like an old stage play inside that room. It is notable for being Chaplin's last. I can see the reason for the critical dismissal but I find Brando and Loren trying to do slapstick rather endearing. I even laugh a few times. They take their serious acting skills and go slip on a banana peel. It's somewhat fun. Even when the movie spreads out, there is still a smallness to the comedy. It's little moves and slights of hand. They are not the types to go big and broad with the humor. It's a bunch of serious actors trying to be wacky and that's weirdly funny.