Live Life Team
‘Grumpy Old Men’ is a comedy film about two psychotically fractious neighbours, who were enemies in their early lives. John Gustafson is played by Jack Lemmon and Max Goldman is played by Walter Matthau, the irritable old men in the rivalry. They both fall in love with an elderly, gorgeous widow, Ariel Truax, played by Ann Margret, which makes the rivalry even more heated.
The rivalry includes these men playing childlike pranks whenever they see each other. Ironically, though, they do engage in conversation, but this rarely occurs. John and Max compete for Ann’s affections. Although these men are not the only persons smitten by Ariel, they appear to be the two men that she is most interested in.
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are a perfect match with perfect chemistry as they are just so hilarious and odd together. Lemmon gives a better overall performance by showing much of his actual efforts in getting into his character, while Matthau moves smoothly into his character throughout the movie. However, Ann Margret gives a not particularly memorable performance; she is energetic and still adequate in her character as the catalyst of the newest phase in the Gustafson/Goldman feud.
The material is not that strong – except for a scene in which Lemmon’s nonagenarian father, played by Burgess Meredith, gives some hopeless advice about handling a woman. But viewers have to be indulgent when doddering elders take the trouble to do old party pieces, and these two old-timers – spurred on by the box office achievement of this film – make worse films in the coming years.
