Fish Called Wanda, A

A Fish Called Wanda was a huge hit in its day and it remains one of the best mainstream comedies of the 1980s not unduly burdened by overly synthetic production values that characterized the period. No doubt this is in part attributable to the fact that it was directed by British veteran, Charles Crichton.

Recalling classic Ealing comedies, with which Crichton was no doubt familiar, such as Too Many Crooks the story involves an ill-assorted gang of jewel thieves played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin and Tom Georgeson. The American imports (the trans-Atlantic connection receives no explanation) double-cross their English colleagues and they end up in court where they have to deal with naive barrister Archie Leach (John Cleese) who falls in love with the JLC character. 

Although the drooling (both the camera's and Leach's) over Curtis wears a bit thin and it gets ragged as it approaches its end, the film is genially amusing if occasionally crass, with some very funny moments thanks to the Cleese/Crichton script and the performances by the three male leads, Kline winning an Oscar for his trouble (although Palin suffers the most indignities).

FYI: The cast were re-united for a less-than-inspired 1996 outing, Fierce Creatures, that was originally filmed with Robert Young as director then re-written and re-made with Fred Schepisi at the helm. The name Archie Leach is a reference to Cary Grant's birth name, Archibald Leach.

 

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