Ming Dynasty

One of the funniest comedies ever produced, this outrageous and brilliant murder/love story follows the desperate attempt of a total narcissist, Henry Graham, played by Walter Matthau, whose of love of "life at the top" leads to own financial ruin. Having spent all of his adulthood in denial about the reality of the extent of his wealth enjoying the sporting life, his exploits as a gourmand, man about town and a collector of art, he has developed few relationships of any depth aside from the bond he shares with his "gentleman's gentleman," an old school valet who appreciates his sense of "form" and is very devoted to him. Henry avoids any attempt on the part of brokers, accounts or a well-heeled uncle of his to intrude on the his life, dismissing desperate calls from those who do care to inform him of that he is facing financial ruin. He only becomes aware that he is broke when various people at the places he frequents, such as the doorman at his club, inform him that his accounts are in arrears. After waking up to the fact that he he owes money to numerous parties, Henry obtains a small loan from his uncle to keep him afloat and pays outrageously high interest as part of the bargain. He must offer his apartment, art collection and Ferrari as collateral. The terms demand that the loan be repaid in six weeks or less or he will lose the little he has left. Henry sets out to marry a woman of tremendous wealth as quickly as possible but is turned off by the various middle-aged matrons he meets in the early stages, each of whom he finds oddly odious in some way, whether she is sex-crazed or lacking in personal charm. In the final week he meets a shy, awkward woman at an afternoon tea who spills the contents of her cup on the carpet while attempting to keep track of her pocket book and gloves. Henrietta Lowell is a shy, delicate woman devoted to botany who gives the expression "wall flower" new meaning. Henry looks on as the hostess loses her temper with Henrietta and humiliates her in front of the guests. Seeing that Henrietta is in distress, he seizes the moment and rushes to her side, sweeping in and dumping a second cup of tea on the carpet and admonishing the hostess for being so rude to Ms. Lowell. Henrietta rides off on Henry's white horse and they start dating madly. He and his valet bone up on biology so that Henry can make intelligent conversation with Henrietta. He proposes marriage and closes the deal, managing to dissuade her attorney, whose sole client is Henrietta and has been exploiting her for years, to persuade her that he is up to no good. Henrietta is in love and it is her nature to only see the good in others. Her gentleness and defenselessness are both hilarious and touching. Henry manages to marry her but secretly has a plot to set himself free once a little time has passed. However, events evolve in such a way that doing so becomes more complicated than Henry expected. Henrietta discovers a new species of fern on their honeymoon enables her to fulfill her greatest "wish," which is to name a new genus. She names it after Henry, which means that he will go down in the history of civilization, which is, after all, closely tied to the history of wealth. Although he doesn't realize it at once, this has great significance to Henry and sneaks up on him at the crucial moment in their marriage. In the mean time, he undergoes a surprising transformation, discovering that he has resources that he never knew that he had as a result of his relationship with Henrietta. He is able to deal with the disarray her household is in upon his arrival in it, fire the staff and take charge of the household accounts with great acuity. His character is improved in his valet's eyes, anyway. The antics in what unfolds between Henry and Henrietta are unimaginably funny. Elaine May creates the most helpless of damsels in distress, pulling off one gag after the next. I highly recommend this movie.