The only reason I tuned in to watch this on Fox Family when there were several other, much more productive things to be doing was because they played an absolute ton of commercials during Freaks and Geeks and one of the commercials mentioned the phrases "Kevin Kline" and "conmen" in the same sentence. But I soon realized that almost every aspect of the film was worthy of praise.
The story begins when four conartists (Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Georgeson) pull off an armed robbery in a jewelry store. One of them proceeds to tip the police off as to the leader of the gang and gets him arrested. While George is preparing for the trial, Otto and Wanda are busy hightailing it out of the country. Or trying to, at least.
They discover that "George moved the loot?!" and Wanda must then "get friendly" with his barrister, Archie Leach (John Cleese) to find out where it's been hidden. Of course, the two eventually fall in love and run off to Rio, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Meanwhile, the stuttering Ken has been given the task of knocking off an old lady who just happens to be the eye-witness in George's trial. He...misses her several times, but eventually wins the pound from Otto. Otto, however, never gives him the money and instead opts to tie him to a chair, cause him much mental anguish, almost suffocate him with a pear and two french fries, and then skip out on him when Archie and Wanda show up.
But you'll just have to watch it and see what happens next. Wait. I already told you the ending, didn't I. Oops... Well, watch it, anyway.
"Wanda" was half of the reason I got into Monty Python. And most of the reason Michael Palin's my favorite. And almost all of the reason I love Kevin Kline so much. The scene when Archie and Ken first meet, save the bit with Otto and the passing motorist, came straight out of an episode of Flying Circus. And there's just so much other marvelously strange stuff that happens that you can't NOT love it.
The only thing I can possibly say about this fine piece of cinematography that is at all negative is that some of the language and a few of the scenes are just not very appropriate. But hey, what can you say? You've gotta expect that from these people.
A Fish Called Wanda was written by John Cleese, directed by Charles Chrichton, and produced by Steve Abbott, John Cleese, John Comfort, and Michael Shamberg. The score was composed by John Du Prez. Thanks to Whizzo Online for the pictures.
