Film Review: They All Laughed (1981)

almost 3 years ago

(source: tmdb.org)

Success of a film might, at times, depend on circumstances beyond film maker’s control. Few examples for that are as clear as the tragic story behind They All Laughed, 1981 romantic comedy directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The plot is set in Manhattan and deals with three private investigators of Odysssey Detective Agency assigned to follow two women suspected of extramarital affairs. John Russo (played by Ben Gazzara) follows Angela Niotes (played by Audrey Hepburn), wife of an Italian tycoon, while Charles Rutledge (played by John Ritter) follows young woman named Dolores Martin (played by Dorothy Stratten). Both men are aided by their colleague Arthur Brodsky (played by Blaine Novak) who continues helping them even when it becomes apparent that they have fallen in love with women they were supposed to follow.

During the production Dorothy Stratten was having romantic relationship with Peter Bogdanovich. Few months afterwards she was brutally murdered by her estranged husband Paul Snider. Tragic event has cast a long shadow on They All Laughed, making it difficult to advertise the film as light-hearted entertainment. After 20th Century Fox failed to properly distribute the film, Bogdanovich took over distribution which would few years later result in his bankruptcy.

The most remarkable thing about They All Laughed is that almost all the characters are promiscuous. This create problem for this film, especially in the first part, when the audience might be confused. Bogdanovich’s direction is subpar and, although it puts New York locations to good use, it gets confusing, especially during night scenes. There is also problem with pacing and They All Laughed looks overlong. Cast, on the other hand, is mostly good. Ben Gazzara has a lot of charisma, but for the most part in this film he does nothing but stands in the street. Audrey Hepburn in her penultimate feature film role still has charm, but she mostly appears in second half. John Ritter is the best in the role of nerdish detective, the only character whose comic potential was properly used. Dorothy Stratten looks beautiful, but audience mostly sees her from the distance, which could be explained by her lack of acting experience, something that even Bogdanovich was aware. The best impression is given by Coleen Camp in the role of country singer and Russo’s girlfriend Christy Miller, while another interesting performance is given by model Patti Hansen in the role of taxi driver. They All Laughed also features good soundtrack, which includes country and western songs, as well as Sinatra’s greatest hits, but it isn’t used properly and sounds like someone in theatre switched radio on. With exception of scenes featuring Ritter and Novak, there aren’t that many laughs in this film, so, as a comedy, it’s quite a disappointment.

RATING: 4/10 (++)