Intro.
I know I've mentioned before that the usual designation of a "classic" film is that it must be thirty years old. These are the films I try to stick to with my write-ups, but sometimes you need to bend the rules a bit. At 25 years old, Clue has really earned a place in the realm of classic comedies. As I was fortunate to see it in theaters last weekend, I feel as though I need to review it.Overview
Based on the classic Parker Brothers board game, Clue takes place in a remote mansion, where six strangers arrive as guests. They are greeted by a butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), then served by a maid (Colleen Camp) and a cook (Kellye Nakahara). Each guest is given an alias - one of the characters from the board game - and all are seated in the dining room to await their host, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). But when Mr. Boddy is killed, we learn that each guest was being blackmailed by him. That means anyone could be guilty of murder. Things go from bad to worse when they discover the cook has also been murdered. The group splits up to search the house for any other people who may be there. It seems no one is safe from the murderous rampage - the maid, a stranded motorist who comes in to use the phone, a police officer who came in out of the rain, even a singing telegram girl. With only a short time before the police come to arrest the killer, the group of guests and the butler rush around to try and figure out who did what where and with what weapon (sound familiar?). In the end we are treated not just to an ending, but three different endings - as if you're really playing the game. Was it Ms. Scarlet in the Library with the Gun? Colonel Mustard in the Study with the Rope? Professor Plum in the Kitchen with the Wrench? You'll have a lot of fun trying to figure it out in this mad-cap mystery! Highlights
It would have been very easy to go overboard with the comedy in this film, but what the actors did so well (especially Tim Curry) was keep it at just the right speed. Everything is well timed and well executed. It creates quite a wild ride that only grows faster and more frantic until you reach the ending at breakneck speed. Each murder ups the anxiety of the guests and the humor of the film. It does a great job of following the board game without really overdoing it. The talented stars really create unique characters too - Martin Mull is Colonel Mustard, Christopher Lloyd is Professor Plum, Madeline Kahn is Ms. White, Eileen Brennan is Mrs. Peacock, Michael McKean is Mr. Green, and Lesley Ann Warren is Ms. Scarlet. The best part of the film is the ending. Wadsworth gathers everyone for his grand revelation and says they have to "retrace" the steps of the evening, which they do at a fantastic run! He sums it all up and makes his accusation and the murderer confesses. Then a card comes up on screen like in the old silent films. It says - "That's how it could have happened." (card changes) "But how about this?" The second ending then plays out, resuming from the same point where Wadsworth first began his revelation. At that conclusion, another card appears with "But here's what really happened" and we are treated to yet another answer.
Review
Clue is a great comedy. It works on many levels and has the added interest of bringing the much loved board game of whodunit to life. I know some people who find it a bit too silly, but there are many more I've met who not only love it, but quote it often. A favorite line among my friends is "Communism was just a red herring." It's definitely a fun film to watch and enjoy, and I'd recommend it to anyone. I should also mention that Clue is very similar to one of my all time favorite comedies, Murder by Death (1976). That film stars Alec Guiness, Peter Falk, Truman Capote, Peter Sellers, David Niven and many other amazing comedians. Instead of a board game, it is a spoof of famous literary detectives - Sam Spade becomes Sam Diamond, Hercule Poirot becomes Milo Perrier, and so on. All the guests arrive at a strange mansion at the request of a mysterious host, Lionel Twain (Capote). It too is a crazy and hilarious murder mystery and one I'd also recommend - maybe even for a double feature!
