Friday 1 April 2011

Best Actor 1971: Walter Matthau in Kotch

Walter Matthau received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Joseph P. Kotchner in Kotch.

Kotch is not much of a film, about an old man who refuses to be put away in a old people's home. A much better similar film is Harry and Tonto made a few years little.

Something I did not point out, but I guess I should have mentioned in my last review was how convincing the 35 year old Topol was as the much older Tevye in The Fiddler on The Roof. I was really reminded how good he was at playing older, when I watched Walter Matthau in this film. The fifty year old Matthau is just not particularly convincing as the Elderly Kotch. He had white hair sure, but I never saw Matthau as an old man. He really did not do anything to be convincing as a Grandfather.  Also I personally I have noticed I much prefer Matthau when he acts as a character his own age.

Kotch is one of those nice old men, who still has energy and energetically takes to life. Although really too energetically, because he seemed more like a fifty year old guy to me, since Matthau honestly does nothing to seem older. Now I should get off his age I guess, but unfortunately there is not that much to talk about. Kotch is not too much of a character, just a nice old guy who is mistreated by a few people, and misunderstood by others.

All Walter Matthau has to do for Kotch is be charming and a nice old guy. Well is an actor I like and he certainly is charming, and a nice enough guy in the role, but he is nothing more than. I really do not have anything more to say, he is nice charming, and sweet, but nothing more. His character stays consistent throughout as a nice charming old guy, and never changes, or shows anything more than he always was a nice charming old guy.

I think I really prefer Walter Matthau when he is portraying a clever, or sly guy, and I guy who is his actual age. Matthau is technically fine throughout the role, except for the weakness of his age believability. He is never asked to do much, but what he does he does warmly I suppose.

4 comments:

dinasztie said...

Well, I'm interested in this one because Jack Lemmon directed it. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, I'm surprised you went that high - I found him to be terrible.

Louis Morgan said...

Dinasztie: Lemmon unfortunately does not show himself to be much of a director here.

Sage: Like I said in my review, I probably should have gone lower, and you know, I was right.

Tom said...

I loved his old man performance in The Sunshine Boys.