Movie Shows Humorous Side Of Love And Jealousy
In the real world, humor is often found in the oddest of places. Hollywood, however, does a poor job of reflecting this, using the same borderline jokes and sight gags over and over again, changing them little by little from movie to movie.
“A Month by the Lake,” set at an Italian lake resort, takes a totally different approach. The humor in this movie is found in settings far from what one would normally expect.
The funniest scene in the movie is set on a tennis court, where a match begins between the two main characters, who have just met. And, to mix things up a bit, the two find themselves attracted to one another.
The man (Edward Fox) proposes the couple play a tennis match, hoping to impress the woman (Vanessa Redgrave). Since Redgrave claims to have “not played in years,” Fox expects an easy win, but after she triumphs in the first game, Fox is astounded and the viewing audience is delighted.
Fox storms off the court enraged, unbelieving of what had just happened. But, only a few hours later, he recovers from his anger and makes up with his opponent.
“A Month by the Lake” is about the humorous aspects of love and jealousy, and in this romantic tale, there is no loss of humor.
From the first time she sees Fox, Redgrave is attracted to him, but for a long time, the feeling is not quite returned.
After only a of couple days at the resort, Fox decides he has to leave for “business at home.” What could possibly stop him? Nothing, except for sultry blond Uma Thurman kissing him good-bye and telling him that she only wishes they had gotten to know each other “more properly.”
Thurman has absolutely no interest whatsoever in Fox and does this all as a joke. But Fox doesn’t take it that way. So, when Fox returns, attempting to court Thurman, she is astounded.
As with any romantic comedy, all these differences are sorted out, and Redgrave and Fox truly discover one another for a classic happy ending.
Despite a couple of instances of bad timing, the acting is all great, and all the characters are no different from someone you might meet on the street.
Dialogue often carries the movie. Redgrave’s and Fox’s characters couldn’t have possibly shone as well as they did without down-to-earth conversations. The humor is also careful to fit the time period of the first half of the century, using jokes a tad bit less slapstick than something you might see on Letterman.
“A Month by the Lake” provides a good balance, with a storyline that is intelligent and sophisticated, but not so much so that one can’t understand it.
This movie doesn’t have the slightest hint of a special effect, no graphic sex scenes or any of Hollywood’s other tricks used to pull people into the theaters. So, if you’re looking for a break from the mayhem and madness, check out “A Month by the Lake.”
Grade: A