HotToastyRag Everyone knows Robert Redford's acting style is perfect for the camera, rather than the theater. He's subtle; the slight raise of his eyebrow means volumes. That being said, would you be surprised to find out he originated the lead role in Barefoot in the Park on Broadway? I was.In Neil Simon's romantic comedy, newlyweds Robert Redford and Jane Fonda ride out some early speedbumps in their marriage. Bob is an uptight lawyer, and Jane is a free spirit. Their arguments are legendary, and chances are you've seen a clip in a romantic film montage. Robert Redford's "I have a case in court in the morning" line has become a household phrase in my family.While this is a pretty famous romantic classic, I actually really didn't like it the first time I saw it. Jane Fonda is absolutely adorable beyond belief; this is definitely one her cutest roles. But Robert Redford was too convincing in his role, and I couldn't stand him! I realize now that my hatred of him was a compliment to his acting, but at the time, I couldn't separate how much I hated his character from his acting ability. It wasn't until I watched The Great Gatsby that I fell in love with him.

pyrocitor "I've never seen a young couple so in love," Mildren Natwick fondly croons near the climax of Gene Saks' adaptation of Neil Simon's smash Broadway hit, but by that point in the film we're wary enough to know better. Of course, it's second nature that a drama about a couple happily in love sustaining a functional relationship would never make for thrilling viewing (more's the pity…), but Simon is canny enough to dig a notch deeper than the average relationship yarn, and interrogate why we invest so heavily in the wish fulfillment of successful resolutions to seemingly irreconcilable relationship drama. As such, Barefoot in the Park proves a lighthearted but provocatively probing two-hander, a less urbane Breakfast at Tiffany's or a less acerbic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? if you will – less iconic than both, but sharp and sprightly enough to not be unworthy of the comparison. Saks manages to keep his finger on the uniquely liminal state of late 1960s cinema, counterbalancing the more youth-driven, The Graduate-era risqué with a lighter, more Blake Edwards playfulness (I did a double-take at the Mickey Mouse-ing soundtrack on the recurring 'six flights of stairs' gag to ensure I wasn't watching The Party). It helps that Simon's airtight script keeps things ticking along at a jaunty pace, and the mischievous sitcom-esq scenarios which unfold are arguably more endearing and amusing than those of The Odd Couple. Interestingly, although Barefoot in the Park is billed as a comedy, in spite of in spite of Simon's plentiful zingers and the sparkling performances of Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, the proceedings become increasingly bittersweet, as hindsight lends the perspective of how incompatible their relationship is (it's poignant that Simon wrote the play retroactively based on the dissolution of his first marriage). As such, the closing inevitable romantic reconciliation and 'marriage means compromise' theme don't sit as well as the average happy ending, as it feels like we've been privy enough to the misfiring mechanics of the couple's relationship to let them get off that easy. If anything, this potentially unsatisfactory resolution, which likely played better on the page, may be testament to the leading actors being almost too good at their parts. The character of Paul, meant to play as dull and repressed, is made almost too likable through the luminescent charisma of Redford, perfectly deadpan snappy delivery and hysterical comedy drunk stylings and all, to not feel like the invariable 'good guy' in the scenario, which threatens to skew the relationship balance and defeat Simon's point. Likewise, Fonda embodies the fun-loving, carefree Corrie with such phenomenal gusto that it's difficult to not find her character quirks play as somewhat overwhelming rather than endearing, or for her second act hysterical drunken meltdown to not play as distressingly, wantonly self-absorbed. It's poignant that we, the audience, are given access to Corrie privately, at her most grounded, where her fears and neuroses are teased out in more sympathetic depth, whereas Redford's Paul only sees her at her most manic and performative – an essentially nuanced, clever ploy of characterization. Ultimately, in the end, Simon's objective is not celebrating Corrie and Paul's inevitable reunion (although Fonda and Redford play the heartwarming, troubled heart out of it) as much as understanding how such problematically imbalanced relationships can be and frequently are pushed to persist, sometimes at the detriment of those involved. Paul's "even when I didn't like you I loved you" quip is poignantly on the nose, and helps redirect audience expectations of fairy tale-style romantic closure to appreciating the moments of joy that come along the way, even if sadly foreshadowing future problems or an invariable eclipse. Will they make it in the end? It's hard to see, even hard to endorse. But, deep down, do we want them to? Yes, gosh darn it, we do, just as they do, warts and all. And maybe – hopefully – that's enough. If anything, the film's most pleasant twist is its treatment of Mildred Natwick, Corrie's mother. Introduced as if the set up for a one-note nattery, conservative old crone of a character, Natwick defies stereotypical expectations, surprisingly as a dryly 'with it' woman with a world-weary sense of humour and adventure alike. Similarly, Charles Boyer, as Paul and Corrie's eccentric, mischievous, and ambiguously lusty squatting attic neighbour, wins many laughs, but equally surprises with a deceptively complex and human character amidst his wild antics. If anything, Saks' film is more sympathetic towards romance in the winter years, suggesting the surest way of guaranteeing a functioning relationship is to approach one with the hindsight of a lifetime of pain and mistakes. It's hard not to take to the madcap silliness yet odd dignity of their impromptu pairing, and Natwick and Boyer are both hilarious and lovable in embodying it. Barefoot in the Park isn't perfect, and definitely loses some of its oompf with age, and the onset of other, equally or more nuanced romantic comedies and dramas alike. Nonetheless, Simon's classic remains a pleasantly twinkling, smartly scripted, and on-point dissection of a passionate yet fundamentally flawed relationship, and Fonda and Reford, amidst the stair gags, snowflakes through the skylight, and drunken, Albanian restaurant hijinx, are exceptionally human as its leading duo. Nearly 50 years on, it's still worth throwing caution to the winds and romping barefoot through the freezing grass with them – even if you've got court in the morning. -8/10

lasttimeisaw Another film adaptation of Neil Simon's play with the same name, directed by his frequent collaborator, the stage and film directer Gene Saks, who has recently passed away at the age of 93. It pairs Fonda and Redford as a couple of newlyweds Corie and Paul, whose marriage is hanging on a thread when they find out their personalities are poles apart. Like the outworn running gag of climbing a five-storey building (New Yorkers are really that easy to be defeated by this not-so-challenging altitude?), the film doesn't weather too well through the time, its story is quite common-or-garden, the adventurous spirit Vs. the prudent comportment, which is also reflected by pairing up their idiosyncratic neighbor Victor (Boyer) and Corie's widow mother Ethel (Natwick). Nothing is wrong about all that, but the viewing experience is chiefly blighted by Fonda's hammy endeavour to be "funny", her character is irritating to say the least, and her high-pitched voice doesn't help either, surely her hyperactive restlessness is by design, but the effect is cringe-worthy, what is the virtue of this woman (apart from her gymnastic physique)? Maybe it is the gaping generation gap which sours the supposed comedic moment for Generation Y. Also knowing that Simon based the story on his first marriage, it could be a deliberate manoeuvre of aggrandisement with an intent of personal mockery. Redford, on the other hand, is in a safer place of being likable, by the way, he is reprising his role in the original play, he has that kind of awkward charm of "pretty boy entrapped in a nicely-fitting suit", and when it comes to his "barefoot in the park" inebriated caper, he is competent enough to act in a comedy without overdoing what the script offers. But the amorous frisson between him and Fonda has never hit the boiling point, in spite of the fact they kiss a lot in the movie, mostly instigated by the free-spirited Corie, whose aggressive longing and volatility is the killjoy of any romance at all. Veteran theatrical dab hand Mildred Natwick is honoured with an Oscar nomination for rehashing her role in the film version, she both dignifiedly and comically personifies Ethel as possibly "the kindest mother-in-law" ever on the silver screen; also Charles Boyer exhibits a droll poise with his exotic panache, oddly enough, their flirtation seems to be more appealing than our two young protagonists. Anyhow, it is sad to find out there is a Jane Fonda's performance I am wholeheartedly unable to stomach, this is something I could never have expected before watching this substandard Neil Simon flick.

brchthethird This film is a cleverly written, wonderfully acted comedy that stands among the funniest I've ever seen. Ever. Though it mostly sticks to convention, partially as a product of its time, Neil Simon's screenplay is a perfect example of how to do comedy well, based on characters and dialogue and not the toilet humor that too often passes for "comedy" nowadays. Robert Redford (reprising his stage role) and Jane Fonda are brilliant as the two lead characters, a newlywed couple who are adjusting to their new life together. The chemistry between them was palpable and very real. Charles Boyer and Mildred Natwick also give fine supporting performances as an interesting neighbor and the bride's mother, respectively. One thing I loved, besides how funny this film was, was the way in which it treated even the smallest of characters. Sure, there could have been more exploration of the many residents in the apartment, but what was in the movie worked well. And, I also liked the economic (and organic) use of physical comedy to complement the nearly nonstop verbal acrobatics. Truly a masterpiece of comedy for the ages, and a heartwarming look at young love.