S. Tveskov

I’m a huge Audrey Hepburn fan and like Holden too. And I loooove Paris. So you’d think: magic, right? Wrong. However, if you are an Audrey fan and just love looking at her and her clothes, listening to her and seeing her be adorable you might want to watch it at least once. She’s got the great Jackie Kennedy/de Givenchy early 60’s look. It’s all in color. It’s a weird movie cause if you pay attention there are clever in jokes about Hollywood and in jokes about even Audrey and Holden. It is clever, sweet and funny in spots and Tony Curtis, in a cameo, though only in about 8-10 minutes of the movie totally steals it. He made me howl. But over all the movie does drag. Also listening to Holden give a cynical speech about being a drunk hack who only worked to make money sounded too close to home and actually made me tear up. And knowing he had unrequited feelings for Audrey made the love scenes tough to watch. So all in all, good try, but if you don’t loooove Audrey I’d say chose another film.

I was a senior in HS (1979) when the album came out. It’s ALL we listened to!! But I never saw the movie until today, 2022. I did see Waters show with my daughter in the 2000’s. Anyway, I’m a big fan of war theme movies which this is tangentially. I like exploring the theme of childhood loss, a lack of parental support and obviously the bad education system. And, believe it or not I can even feel sorry for the failure to enjoy life and alienation of famous people like rock stars especially who are worshipped. So much so that it bothered Roger Waters, made him sort of hate them and write this album after he found the band couldn’t break up over differences but had to write an album due to bad financial dealings. So he took a dark semi autobiographical situation and wrote a great album. His Dad really did die at Anzio. He really did feel audiences treated him with undue respect and would blindly follow him and do what he said as if he were some charismatic fascist leader. It sickened him. And it alienated him. Pink has those qualities and I love how the film shows his memories of childhood. So poignant. You really get where he gets his initial loneliness and sense of rejection from. You see his wife reject him after happier times. And you literally see him surrounded by 4 literal walls in the same hotel wall except for memories and hallucinations. He never really leaves those walls except to sing. My favorite scene was Comfortably Numb. That song got me since ‘79. But the film brought me to tears. Between the rat and them drugging him back to life I lost it. I thought-this poor miserable sob. And his hangers on. Yuck! Remember Elvis? Of note, they deleted another favorite, Hey You. So sorry for that. If you like the music, don’t expect speaking parts, though there’s plenty to watch to know what is happening in each scene, you’ll probably like the movie. Like others said, it’s a long music video with great performances, especially by Geldorf-his first and last starring film. He had been in an Irish Punk Rock Band since late ‘70’s, I think. I might read (the beginning of) a plot summary first if you know nothing from the album, along with themes so you’ll enjoy it more. Give it a chance unless you just don’t like Pink Floyd or occasionally surrealistic and crazy and unrelentingly dark, but good films. I really enjoyed it! Saw Tommy too last week and enjoyed it. Oh yeah, many top critics liked The Wall when it came out including Ebert.

I’m 61 and in 2022 I finally saw it. Love the album. It is a product of its day and not to everyone’s taste but if you like the Who or the 70’s it’s worth watching. I especially enjoyed seeing Keith Moon immortalized on film, albeit as a rather nasty fellow. But now he lives forever. Wish there was more of my favorite, Pete Townsend. I read that Roger Daltry actually did his own stunts (hang gliding & rock climbing) which was amazing. As with others parts of it were too loud for me but other parts I really enjoyed. Ann Margaret really acted her heart out. Oh well, you’ll have to decide for yourself! Good luck!

Sad Diamond: “You know how to whistle don’t you?” Tess: “Well yes…(blah, blah, bl-)” Sam: Enough, you ruined it. (I may be paraphrasing but man it made me laugh!) As did a certain male character, I won’t spoil it by saying who but watch for it, behaves as/becomes a woman and takes umbrage at being called unattractive. For the 70’s, quite a progressive moment-unlike a lot of the much less PC moments of the film. Still you will laugh anyway and we all need laughs these days! Still Sellers as a stereotypical “Chinaman” (forgive me, but that’s the word used back then) was jarring. Loved seeing a young James Cromwell. Maggie Smith was so pretty. And oh yeah, French detective Perrier says he needs hot chocolate, “n’est-ce pas?” and is told they do not have that brand, only Hersheys! I laughed out loud a few times and for such an old movie that’s pretty good. (I’m 62)