Billy Wilder directs Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Judi West in this dark comedy where a sharp injury lawyer convinces his brother-in-law to sue and exaggerate his injuries.

Strange watching a non-period movie that chooses to still be in black and white after Technicolor became the dominant format. Orson Welles would argue that black and white captures the acting and expressions better. Does Wilder hold with the same theory? There is lots of mugging to camera. Either way there also is a self aware joke about not being able to afford colour. The first pairing of Matthau and Lemmon is broke up into cute chapters and is pretty cynical. A pleasingly misanthropic watch but not gold standard.

6

Perfect Double Bill: A New Leaf (1971)