Hopscotch - Criterion Collection

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Walter Matthau is in peak form in Hopscotch, a featherweight spy-game comedy in which he plays a CIA agent who's way smarter than his dimwitted superiors. That's the fantasy part--this amusing cat-and-mouse game is so lopsided that you can't take it seriously. The movie's charm is derived from the sardonic pleasure with which Matthau makes his pursuers look like idiots, after they've targeted him for "termination" for publishing a tell-all memoir about his tenure in "the Company." He's no stool pigeon, however; it's his boss (played with blustery thick-headedness by the great Ned Beatty) who's abusing his power, so Matthau recruits an old lover (Glenda Jackson) to join him in a globetrotting game of clandestine cleverness. Under Ronald Neame's too-casual direction, this is a not-so-wild goose chase, but Matthau and Jackson (reuniting after they had fun making the 1978 comedy House Calls) have an easygoing chemistry that's nicely balanced with Matthau's cantankerous shenanigans. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Miles Kendig knows too much. One of the CIA's top international operatives, he suddenly finds himself relegated to a desk job in an agency power play. Unwilling to go quietly, Kendig, with the aid of a chic Viennese widow, puts himself back in the game by writing a memoir exposing the innermost secrets of every major intelligence agency in the world. The CIA wants Kendig dead, but he refuses to cooperate—he's having too much fun. Based on Brian Garfield's best-selling novel, and starring the inimitable comic team of Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson, Ronald Neame's Hopscotch is a smart and stylish tale of international intrigue and a cat-and-mouse comedy.

Customer Reviews:

IT'S JUST FUN.......2007-08-24

Walter Matthau doing what he does best. Screwed over by CIA management, he makes them pay by using superior wit for revenge. Great movie. Great fun. My wife sat through the entire movie and she never does that.

Walter Matthau.......2007-06-26

Very funny and light hearted movie. I have had a taped version for many years and it was wearing out so I was very happy to be able to purchase it on DVD.

It's an excellent comedy with great acting by all. A stick it to the CIA plot which is done with a lot of humor.

It is a pleasnt alternative to blow em up and kill everyone movie.

Hilariously clever.......2007-04-11

This movie is so funny, it seems that everyone should know about it! It has a clever plot; you will never guess the ending if you're a first time viewer. The acting is superb; I am guessing the person who chose the cast was a genious. It is a must have for every video library.

A delightful comedy worth watching again and again.......2007-03-07

Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, and Herbert Lom are all quite delightful in this film ... The subtle and clever humor is a nice break from the in-your-face brazen humor found so often today. The combination of Matthau and Jackson is a bit unexpected, but the chemistry really works! I am very very glad that Matthau decided to go through with this project, as it ranks as one of my favorite movies! The commentary by writer and director are well worth listening to. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book on which this movie is based; it's easy to see why it earned an Edgar for the author!

Nicely Done.......2007-03-03

I just watched this movie tonight. I love Walter Matthau, and there's plenty of his classic character bits here to keep the viewer constantly entertained. Although it received mixed reviews when it came out in 1980, Hopscotch still remains popular and is driven by a more than average, clever plot. Glenda Jackson has good chemistry with Walter, even though there's an age difference to deal with. And there's a surprisingly good deal of Mozart and Rossini sprinkled throughout the sound track, mainly because Matthau loved these composers. Matthau's character, who's writing an expose (his memoirs) of the CIA, needs writing music and inevitably puts on a record of a Mozart opera (The Marriage of Figaro). This was Matthau's own idea. He seemed to have brought much to this movie. For instance, he dreamed up the sequence where he becomes reacquainted with Glenda Jackson via a conversation with her about wines. That scene works very nicely. You won't waste your time watching this one. I recommend it as a good brief escape from our mad world. Also, don't miss the introductory commentary from the director and the writer.

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