So-so comedy from Max Linder is probably one of his longest to date, but he struggles to create many laughs from situations that would seem tailor-made for his comic talents. He's a newly-wed who is forced to take his new mother-in-law on honeymoon to the Alpine ski-slopes, much to his irritation. There are a few laughs, but the jokes quickly become repetitive - there are so only so many times you can watch a large lady being physically hauled up off the snow before it gets old.
4 Reviews
Who takes their mother-in-law on their honeymoon?!
planktonrules25 January 2011
I have seen nearly all of the surviving Max Linder comedies and have enjoyed them. He was amazingly inventive and when I found one I had not seen ("Max and His Mother-in-Law") I grabbed a copy. Sadly, I was disappointed and it wasn't nearly up to the quality of his other films.
The film begins with Max getting married. In an odd twist, he takes his mother-in-law with them on their honeymoon--something that stretches credibility to the breaking point when it comes to plot! On the honeymoon in the snow-capped mountains, his chunky in-law falls down a lot in the snow and there are a few other pratfalls--but no humor. In fact, I've seen dramas that were funnier than this one. My advice is try another one of his films first--such as "Max Takes Tonics". He was a brilliant pioneer.
The film begins with Max getting married. In an odd twist, he takes his mother-in-law with them on their honeymoon--something that stretches credibility to the breaking point when it comes to plot! On the honeymoon in the snow-capped mountains, his chunky in-law falls down a lot in the snow and there are a few other pratfalls--but no humor. In fact, I've seen dramas that were funnier than this one. My advice is try another one of his films first--such as "Max Takes Tonics". He was a brilliant pioneer.
Between Méliès and Chaplin.. awesome!
suchenwi13 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
There are contradicting years given for this enjoyable French film - IMDb says 1911, archive.org says 1914, while the copy of the film I got from there says 1912 in the initial titles... anyway, it is very old, but yet fresh in many ways.
I have to admit I read about Max Linder today for the first time, but immediately downloaded all three films of his available on archive.org, and was extremely fascinated watching them. Being very interested in the early history of film, I've seen quite a number of Méliès films (whose last years coincided with Max's first), and Chaplin films of course.. but Max Linder appears to me as the missing link between those very different styles. He was called "the first international film star", who created a consistent series of name-branded films, and influenced Chaplin right to the moustache and hat style...
The story here is that Max is newlywed, and not very fond of his voluminous mother-in-law, but she refuses to be left out of their honeymoon trip to some winter sports resort, and bravely soldiers on. They depart by train.. and it's a REAL train, with bi-level coaches that I've known to exist, but never seen in motion. What a contrast to the silly prop-model trains in studio used by Méliès several times! Arrived at the resort, they go through the motions of several sports: skating, sleigh-riding, skiing - all of course played for slapstick, but with nice surprising details, and great outside scenes which must have been very difficult in early movie-making, considering the reflections of snow. Mother-in-law is the only one who makes it almost all the way downhill on skis, while the others run down behind her.Even on the train ride back, she still sticks to at least one ski, so is transported in an unconventional way.. but the final scene indicates she now has really won the respect of her son-in-law.
Exquisite old film, for me at least much more rewarding than Mack Sennett comedies of about the same time. I give it 9/10.
I have to admit I read about Max Linder today for the first time, but immediately downloaded all three films of his available on archive.org, and was extremely fascinated watching them. Being very interested in the early history of film, I've seen quite a number of Méliès films (whose last years coincided with Max's first), and Chaplin films of course.. but Max Linder appears to me as the missing link between those very different styles. He was called "the first international film star", who created a consistent series of name-branded films, and influenced Chaplin right to the moustache and hat style...
The story here is that Max is newlywed, and not very fond of his voluminous mother-in-law, but she refuses to be left out of their honeymoon trip to some winter sports resort, and bravely soldiers on. They depart by train.. and it's a REAL train, with bi-level coaches that I've known to exist, but never seen in motion. What a contrast to the silly prop-model trains in studio used by Méliès several times! Arrived at the resort, they go through the motions of several sports: skating, sleigh-riding, skiing - all of course played for slapstick, but with nice surprising details, and great outside scenes which must have been very difficult in early movie-making, considering the reflections of snow. Mother-in-law is the only one who makes it almost all the way downhill on skis, while the others run down behind her.Even on the train ride back, she still sticks to at least one ski, so is transported in an unconventional way.. but the final scene indicates she now has really won the respect of her son-in-law.
Exquisite old film, for me at least much more rewarding than Mack Sennett comedies of about the same time. I give it 9/10.
The Best of Linder's Lot!
silentmoviefan5 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This was the funniest Max Linder comedy of them, all, in my opinion. Max has just gotten married and his bride's mother can't come to the point of letting her daughter go, so the mother-in-law, a rather large woman, comes along on their honeymoon. They go to where it's snowy and the mother-in-law does nothing but get in his way and make things inconvenient for him. Whenever he snaps at the mother-in-law (and he's given reason to, believe you me!), his bride jumps on his case. What makes this so funny to me is one particular scene. Max rents a toboggan and, of course, the heavy mother-in-law is on board with them. Somehow, she gets separates from the two and goes a-sliding a long, long way. It made me laugh because it reminded me of someone in my family... This is his best and so incredibly worth a look!
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