MovieChat Forums > The Loved One (1965) Discussion > Parts better than the Whole

Parts better than the Whole

posted 18 years ago by luftloft
2 replies | jump to latest

This film has so much potential, great cast, ripe topic for satire and a puckish sense of outrageouseness.
What it doesn't have is a consistent point of view, strong editing or narrative drive. It is one of those films that I enjoy thinking about more after having seen it than I enjoyed the experience watching it.

Favorite moment; Rod Steiger's Joyboy lobster dance. Worse moment, the Milton Berle cameo. Its not that he is so bad but that scene is just so obvious and pointless. Fortunately, it has that great house as a set so sitting through the "joke" is tolerable.

[–] jsaturday01 18 years ago

Agreed. Most of this film is an obnoxious, overdone display of extreme poor taste that starts out with interesting potential but then deteriorates into absurdity. The best moment: Liberace as casket salesman Mr. Starker. His is about the only truly witty and amusing scene. He brings such elegance to the part and to the film, a shame it only lasted a few minutes.

[–] silverkissed 17 years ago

Ahhh, yes, Liberace the casket salesman! And I loved how he popped out of the casket at the end with the stripper. And he's interred at Forest Lawn, the cemetery/mortuary this film was spoofing, ironically enough.
"Was it a ghost? Was it fun?" Midge, Vertigo
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