[7]

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau give career-highlight performances as mismatched roommates Felix and Oscar in this comedy based on the Neil Simon play. Everyone knows the gist of the story: two men, one neat and one sloppy, are forced to share an apartment, whackiness ensues. But what you may not know is that Lemmon’s character is living with Matthau because he’s under suicide watch. The severity of that plot point is never overemphasized, and it doesn’t have to be. But it puts a compelling spin on all of Felix and Oscar’s interactions. No matter how heated their arguments get, there’s still affection between them, an element sorely missed in oodles of Odd Couple knockoffs. They’re so intimate, in fact, they accidentally call each other by their estranged wives’ names at different points in the story.

My favorite scene is an early one where Matthau and his group of card playing friends are trash talking each other while waiting for Lemmon to arrive. To hear these guys, you’d never imagine they’re friends. But as soon as they hear about Lemmon’s potential suicide, everyone’s tune changes and they’re suddenly there for each other in a very real and believable way. Funny and poignant is always a winning combination, and it’s on full display here. Simon’s adapted screenplay and the editing were nominated for Oscars. Neal Hefti’s score is pretty catchy, too.