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Visitors Review

2012-05-25 10:39:32

california suite

so glad to find a copy of this movie and in such great condition. thank you

2012-05-25 04:05:55

California Suite

This review is from: California Suite (DVD) This is a great moive. I remember seeing it years ago and it was just as funny as I remember. I love the older movies and to see the actors so young is great. This is a great movie I loved it.

edwagreen 2012-05-24 09:32:08

California Suite- A Sweetie of A Film ***1/2

Neil Simon focuses his attention on a variety of people at a hotel inthis 1978 comedy hit.Walter Matthau certainly has a penchant as a hotel guest. Remember himwith Maureen Stapleton and several other ladies in another hotel farcecomedy-drama?Matthau, as always, is hilarious when he attempts to hide a hooker fromhis wife. It seems that Elaine May is always the naive victim in films.Remember her in 1972's "The Heartbreak Kid?"The real acting kudos here goes to Maggie Smith for a gem of asupporting Oscar-winning performance in this film. Smith plays anactress at the hotel who has been nominated for an Oscar. A win wouldmean a tremendous comeback for her. Naturally, she loses. How manypeople have won Oscars for playing an Oscar loser in a film? JudyGarland accomplished the opposite in 1954 in "A Star is Born." In thefilm she is an actress who wins the academy award but in real-lifecompetition lost it to Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl." Only thelord knows why.Smith is just grand as she prances around the room delivering memorableone-liners. This is just a gem of a film.

Josh Neufeld 2012-05-23 12:18:02

One of the all-time worst comedies EVER.

Nary a chuckle to be found in the whole excruciating 103 minutes. Thefilm starts out okay with Fonda and Alda playing a divorced couplefighting over custody of their teenage daughter. There are somesemi-amusing lines about the cultural differences between the EastCoast and California. The Maggie Smith/Michael Caine plot line isvaguely interesting for a behind- the-scenes feel of the movie starlife. But the Walter Matthau caught-with-a-hooker-in-the-hotel-room-bedshtick is clichéd and poorly played, while the Cosby-Pryor pairing asbickering vacationers is truly awful. "California Suite" is a totalwaste of a great cast, particularly Cosby & Pryor.

Michael Hoffman 2012-05-20 00:37:02

Walter Matthau's Best Performance

I know that this film does not get much acclaim, and it is indeed a ratherinconsistent affair, but the fourth segment featuring the late greatWalterMatthau (whom we unfortunately lost last Saturday)is absolutely hilariousand is by far and away the best in the film. Matthau is able to pull offthe"hide the hooker" from my wife skit so convincingly that one could almostview this as actually happening in real life. I know of few comic actorswhowould not overplay this scene, and it is a great testament to the manhimself.

brefane 2012-05-19 06:01:37

Not so suite.

A bland quartet of tales via Neil Simon all set at the Beverly HillsHotel. The film directed by Herbert Ross entwines the four stories thatwere presented separately on stage thus the film has no real climax,conclusion or resolution:it just ends. This film like so many otherswastes Richard Pryor's genius, and the segment Pryor shares with BillCosby is an embarrassment. The scenes between Jane Fonda and Alan Aldacouldn't be less interesting, in fact, the only interesting thing isthat the late Dana Plato plays their daughter. Michael Caine and MaggieSmith are watchable as a couple in a third skit, though hardly worthyof the Oscar Smith received. For me, the film belongs to Walter Mathhauand Elaine May . Particularly funny is a scene of Matthau trying to putstockings on a passed out hooker. And this is one of the rare instanceswhere Elaine May's distinctive comedic style has been put to good useon film, but 1 out of 4 does not make a worthwhile movie. Fonda faredbetter in Simon's Barefoot in the Park(67) as did director Ross withSimon's The Goodbye Girl(77). Say goodbye to this one.

2012-05-16 22:35:52

NEIL SIMON COMEDY

Neil Simon's California SuiteFOUR LIGHTWEIGHT PLAYLETS BY NEIL SIMON ALL SET IN THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL IN LOS ANGELES. ALAN ALDA, JANE FONDA, WALTER MATTHAU, RICHARD PRYOR, ARE AMONG THOSE WHO INDULGE IN SIMON'S FUN AND GAME ALTHOUGH IT IS MAGGIE SMITH, AS AN ENGLISH STAGE ACTRESS NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD, AND MICHAEL CAINE AS HER HUSBAND, WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHARPEST AND MOST HUMOROUS SKETCH. A COLUMBIA PICTURE, DIRECTED BY HERBERT ROSS, WITH ALAN ALDA, MICHAEL CAINE, BILL COSBY, JANE FONDA, WALTER MATTHAU, ELAINE MAY, RICHARD PRYOR, MAGGIE SMITH. COLOUR. 103 mins.NOTE: Maggie Smith's Award made her the third actress to win in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. She had previously won as Best Actress for THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE in 1969. See also HELEN HAYES and INGRID BERGMAN (Gaslight, Anastasia, Murder on the Orient Express).

allaboutlana 2012-05-16 02:15:16

Fast Forward for Maggie Smith and Michael Caine

Don't get confused! Maggie Smith, an actress Oscar-nominated for astupid little comedy, and husband Michael Caine travel from England toCalifornia for the Oscar ceremony. Walter Matthau (married to Elaine May) arrives in California for awedding and gets in a compromising situation with another woman.Alan Alda and Jane Fonda are exes and discuss sharing custody of17-year-old daughter and how Jane is afraid of losing her once sheleaves home.Richard Pryor and wife and Bill Cosby and wife go to California for arelaxing vacation.All this in one movie. You think it sounds interesting, or you thinkit's a riot. To say this is a complete success in entertainment wouldbe stretching a bit...almost a lot. Right off the bat, Alda and Fonda start in going back and forth on thepast and Fonda is so antagonistic, it's almost unbearable to even getthrough their skit. It lasts over 10 minutes. Walter Matthau's skit gets a little old as he tries to hide the body ofa passed out hooker from his wife, who's he's expecting any minute. (Heoverslept, of course.) But, Elaine May is good in a memorable role.Cosby and Pryor's story actually starts with interest but tires withtheir constant griping and by the end of the movie, all of their funideas have turned into broken bones, bruises and casts. You get thefeeling that black viewers would be offended by the way thesecharacters are portrayed.The only saving grace is Caine and Smith, who ironically was so good inthis otherwise blah movie, she not only received an Oscar nomination,but she won. But, she is great in everything; so is Caine. They shouldhave scrapped the rest of the footage and made a short film of justthese great actors. Those who watch this for them, especially Maggie,will enjoy their performances. But, will otherwise be bored stiff.Those who watch this for Matthau will be minimally pleased. Those whowatch this for Cosby and Pryor will be insulted or just plaindisappointed of the waste of their talents or BOTH. Those who watchthis Fonda or Alda will be talked to death.Nevertheless, I have to give Caine and Smith two thumbs up or two starseach. Therefore, it gets a 4 out of 10 from me.But, if you're in a town where there's a California Suite, run don'twalk to an Economy Lodge.

2012-05-12 14:02:10

Excellent scripting, timing and casting.

This review is from: California Suite (DVD) This has long been a favorite of mine, recalling the perfectly timed bantering between Alan Alda and Jane Fonda. Maggie Smith's insecure tittering and Michael Caine's never cruel comebacks and, of course, Cosby and Pryor hilariously dealing with their vacation mishaps. I never tire of Matthau's gift for dealing w/awkward situations and still hear him exclaiming "You're so BALD?!?"Casting in all 4 stories was, I think, perfect, particularly Elaine May's calm demeanor during the obviously suspicious situation during which she arrives.MORE,please.

Wayne Malin 2012-05-12 00:56:29

Not bad

Four separate stories (all written by Neil Simon)that take place at theBeverly Hills Hotel. There's brittle sarcastic Hannah Warren (JaneFonda) meeting with her divorced husband Bill (Alan Alda) over custodyof their child Jenny (a very young Dana Plato). As with most Simonscripts the one-liners fly fast and furious. Some of it is funny butFonda's character is far too mean and Alda is obviously uneasy with thedialogue for it to work.Then there's Oscar-nominated actress Diana Barrie (Maggie Smith) andher bisexual husband Sidney Cochran (Michael Caine). She's agonizingover attending the Academy Awards and he tries to calm her. These twoare very at ease with the comedy and drama and their story is easilythe best in the film.Then there's Marvin Michael (Walter Matthau) there for a bar mitzvah.He arrives the night before his wife Millie (Elaine May) shows up. Hisbrother sends a prostitute to his room--and she passes out and can'twake up before his wife arrives. Matthau is fun but May seems uneasy.The worst story is of two couples--Dr. Willis Panama (Bill Cosby) andhis wife Bettina (Sheila Frazer) with Dr. Chauncey (Richard Pryor) withhis wife Lola (Gloria Gifford). There story is basically non-stopunfunny and violent slapstick. Seeing two talented comedians like Pryorand Cosby fighting and biting each other isn't funny--justembarrassing. Even worse their wives are totally ignored! A real mixedbag here. The best joke comes from what happened after the movie. Smithwon an Oscar for her acting here and her character in the movie didn'tget the Oscar! Also why Smith got the award is beyond me. She's goodbut this is hardly an Oscar worthy performance. So, all in all, it'sOK. I give it a 7.

Isaac5855 2012-05-10 20:23:32

Mediocre Simon is better than none...

California SUITE is the 1978 film adaptation of Neil Simons' quartet ofone-acts set at swank Los Angeles hotel. Out of the four stories, thestrongest is "Visitors from London" which stars Maggie Smith as anactress in town for the Academy Awards after receiving her firstnomination, in deep denial about her in-name only marriage to acloseted antique dealer (Michael Caine). Smith delivers a flawlesscomedy performance that ironically won her her second Oscar, this timefor Best Supporting Actress. Caiine is just as effective in thisbittersweet tale. "Visitors from New York" stars Jane Fonda as aworkaholic New Yorker who has flown to California to retrieve herdaughter (Dana Plato) who flew away from home to move in with Fonda'sex (Alan Alda). Fonda's character is a little on the unsympathetic sidebut she and Alda make their scenes work. "Visitors from Philadelphia"stars Walter Matthau as a man in town for a convention who tries toconceal from his visiting wife (Elaine May) that there's a passed outhooker in his bed. This episode is pure slapstick with little substancebut Matthau makes it bearable. The other episode "Visitors fromChicago" stars Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Sheila Frazier, and GloriaGifford as two couples vacationing together who get involved in somesilly travel situations. This is definitely the weakest of the fourplaylets and looks like it should be in another movie of its own. Awell-mounted, but spotty effort at best, California SUITE is worth therental for the glorious performance of Maggie Smith alone.

2012-05-10 02:49:41

great film, can't play it

This review is from: Neil Simon's California Suite (DVD) you really need to stop selling films that are incompatable with British dvd players....what a waste of money

2012-05-05 23:39:58

fantastic!

It's worth a look just for the cast (Prior, Cosby, Alda, Fonda, Smith, Caine, Matthau, etc.), but trust me, you won't be disappointed. Prior & Crosby had me in tears. It does get a bit dramatic towards the end, so I'd probably give this 4.5 stars, but I laughed so hard at points, it gets rounded up to 5 stars.

2012-05-05 02:00:43

california suite

This review is from: Neil Simon's California Suite (DVD) so glad to find a copy of this movie and in such great condition. thank you

2012-05-03 00:24:42

More Stars Than The Grand Hotel--A Nostalgic Piece With A Stellar Cast

There is a certain amount of contrivance and staginess to be expected in many Neil Simon film adaptations. I mention this only for viewers who may not be familiar with Simon as a playwright/screenwriter whose most successful days included "The Odd Couple" and "The Goodbye Girl." Working almost exclusively in theater and TV for the past 20 years, it seems as if he retreated from film after dabbling in original screenplays for such dubious films as "The Slugger's Wife" and "The Marrying Man." Well for good or bad, "California Suite" is pure Simon circa 1978--a West Coast riff and companion piece to his successful "Plaza Suite." If you are a Simon fan, this is undoubtedly a must-have film for a variety of reasons. If, however, you have no idea who Simon is--there is still much to recommend "California Suite." Structured as four overlapping stories set in one Los Angeles hotel, Simon has assembled a pretty impressive array of talent. Jane Fonda and Alan Alda play a divorced couple engaged in verbal warfare over the welfare of her daughter. Fonda, anyway, is especially brutal and annoyed that Alda has assumed a laid back California persona. Walter Matthau displays his comedy chops trying to remove a prostitute from his room. Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor face off in grand slapstick fashion when only one vacancy is available. And Maggie Smith and Michael Caine are on hand from England to attend the Oscars. Smith's character has been nominated and in an amusing bit of real life, Smith won Best supporting Actress for this role! Told you it was a good cast! "California Suite," undoubtedly, is in the middle range of Simon's oeuvre. He did get a screenplay nomination in addition to Smith's statuette. It's hard to deny the appeal of seeing this big name cast let loose. Fonda and Alda are quite good in the most dramatically rendered sequence, Matthau is a delight, and Smith and Caine are brilliant. For me, Pryor and Cosby provided the most tedious of the stories--but I can certainly understand the mainstream commercial appeal they had at the time. The whole thing does come off as a filmed play (that's the staginess and contrivance I mentioned at the get-go) which isn't a problem for me or other fans, but could be potentially off-putting to new viewers. Pretty funny, for the most part, with good to great performances. I personally could watch Smith (here in her prime) all day long! KGHarris, 11/10.

Eric-62-2 2012-05-02 03:30:12

Fun!

Neil Simon usually manages to write some pretty funny movies and this onestill holds up well despite the uneven tone of its four storylines. Thefirst story involving Alan Alda and Jane Fonda as a divorced couple arguingover custody of their daughter is the most hard-edged one and for apolitical conservative like myself who thinks Jane Fonda committed treasonin North Vietnam, has two other things going for it. One, Fonda shows offher magnificent body for the first time since "Barbarella" and two, withouther realizing it, her character is almost a perfect caricature of what sheherself became in the 1970s when she got into political activism. The restof the stories are fine in their own right too. The Cosby-Pryor segment hasoften been derided for its slapstick content, but the two of them manage tomake it quite funny.

Jared D 2012-04-28 00:43:36

Another neil classic fav of mine

Neil simon does it again here with alan alda jane fonda richard pryor bill cosby and michael caine among others to bring this a classic in my book this is a funny movie and the bickering between cosby and richard pryor make this too funny for words to mention it is a good movie i can watch again and again a fav of mine big time

FrankStanko 2012-04-27 12:19:25

Enjoyable, but flawed execution

I'm biased - I'm a Neil Simon fan who loves the concept of the "Suite"plays (on stage, each act is a one-act play using the same set, withthe actors playing different roles each act). Obviously, because thestories are intertwined in the film, they couldn't do that (they didn'tdo in "London Suite" either).But, here's my complaint: the intertwining is sloppy. We'll sometimesspend twenty or so minutes with a plot, then get a quick cutaway withanother (Walter Matthau's plot doesn't really kick in until an hour'spassed; Alan Alda disappears after forty-five minutes).Despite this balancing flaw, there are goodies to be found: Visitors From New York: Alda and Jane Fonda have great chemistry (and,of course, she looks great!): one can really believe they were acouple. That being said, he's pretty weak, letting her get in a lot ofbitchy lines, and barely sticking up for himself. Three stars.Visitors From London: A lot of people think this is the best segment,and I'm one of them. Once again, Maggie Smith and Michael Caine giveexcellent performances (but there's a touch of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"throughout the whole scenario) - she deserved her Oscar (and I lovethat they filmed at an actual Oscars ceremony). Four stars.Visitors From Philadelphia: First of all, Elaine May was reminding meso much of Louise Lasser. That being said, I could totally buy her andMatthau together, and I love how calm she was upon her discovery (shegets a great line regarding what she's gonna do). Three and a halfstars.Visitors From Chicago: Unfairly criticized. Sure, it's slapstick in theextreme (it gives us an idea how "The Out of Towners" may have lookedif confined to "Plaza Suite," which it was intended for), but there'ssomething quite cool about two very different masters of stand up,Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby, going up against one another ("clean" vs."dirty"?). And, you just know that a few weeks later, the charactersgot together and had a good laugh about it. Three and a quarter stars.Throw in a nice credit sequence, with David Hockney paintings, and youhave a fine way to spend two hours.

chez-3 2012-04-25 21:20:43

Funny at times - Too serious at others

If "California Suite" had maintained its tone throughout it may have been asmall masterpiece. Instead it's all over the map requiring the viewer toturn on and shut off our feelings every time the director's whim calls forhim to cut from story to story.Story one involves Alan Alda and Jane Fonda as a divorced couple fightingover the visitation of their daughter. It's a well acted piece that is, attimes, humorous and other times is very serious. Should have toned down theseriousness or eliminated the comedy all together.Story two involves Maggie Smith coming to the Oscars as a nominee withMichael Caine, her gay escort whom she loves. This one is also deadlyserious with hints of humor. Again, well acted but neither story fits themovie - especially written by Neil Simon.Story three is with Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor as husbands on vacationwith the wives. It all goes terribly wrong with very funnyresults.Story four stars Walter Matthau as a man visiting for his nephew's barmitzvah and is given a present, by his brother, of a hooker. He wakes up thenext morning to find her passed out from drinking and has a hard timereviving her. Then his WIFE shows up. This, too, is veryfunny.So, getting thru the first two stories is easy. Just admire the good acting.But it's the last two stories that provide the laughs.

moonspinner55 2012-04-25 05:33:53

A not-so-sweet valentine to coupling...

Neil Simon got an Oscar nomination for adapting his own hit play forthe screen, but his writing seems to be caught in a perpetualtime-warp. No subject that gets discussed is fresh, and all his 'witty'one-liners would fall flat without the help of some talented actors tokeep things afloat. A Beverly Hills hotel houses Jane Fonda and AlanAlda as bickering ex-marrieds; Walter Matthau as a husband trying tohide a hooker from wife Elaine May; Michael Caine as the put-uponhusband of Oscar-nominated actress Maggie Smith (who really did win anOscar); and Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor as accident-prone husbandsvacationing with their wives. Aside from the acidic verbal joustingfrom Caine and Smith, this comedy directed by Herbert Ross pretty muchcongeals midway through. Matthau's exaggerated angst is pretty funny,but this seems rote material for the actor (though he and Elaine Mayare well-matched). Fonda may well have accepted her dim role for thesole excuse to show off her figure in a bikini (it upstages even AlanAlda!). As for Cosby and Pryor--how could Herbert Ross sink two of themost famous comedians of the 1970s with this slapstick torpedo? NeilSimon seems to believe in the Pain of Comedy, with life's woes wrungfor laughs, and he gets Ross to believe it, too. But there's too muchphysical shtick and not enough humanity in "California Suite" to makeit the laugh-fest everyone was apparently aiming for. ** from ****