Review of A Fish Called Wanda (1988) by Spangle — 14 Jul 2017

Written by Monty Python member John Cleese, it is truly a foregone conclusion that A Fish Called Wanda would be a truly hysterical film. However, it is the rare comedy that does not rely upon absurd plot happenings or even a plot at all. Though a heist comedy, it is a film about its characters due to Cleese's strong character writing with practically all of the humor being derived from their encounters with one another or what they will do to finally get their hands on the money at the end of the rainbow. A smart and witty film, A Fish Called Wanda is comedy with a brain, a great script, and absolutely phenomenal performances across the board. Thus, it becomes a truly well-rounded piece of entertainment that never misses a beat for the entirety of its runtime.

Starting off with a heist pulled off by craft George Thomason (Tom Georgeson), Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis), sharpshooter Otto (Kevin Kline), and stutterer Ken (Michael Palin), A Fish Called Wanda takes a pretty typical turn when everybody quickly turns against one another after the heist, causing the score to get lost in the shuffle. Yet, like a Coen brothers film, the heist is just an excuse to begin to explore these characters so this narrative cliche is rather excusable. As the diamonds are hidden in some sort of safety deposit box that is in some hotel, near an iconic location, has a key, and is number something, it is required that the group of four work together to be able to get to those diamonds. However, with George in jail and Ken left for dead by Otto and Wanda, it seems as though that bit may be a tall task. Enter barrister Archie Leach (John Cleese). In a loveless marriage and the barrister for George, Archie is a prime target for the large breasted Wanda to use her tricks to get the necessary information from George to be able to find where the diamonds are locked up. While the diamonds are eventually found, it is truly a battle of attrition and one that often takes a backseat to the characters on display.

With this room to explore the characters, Cleese's incredibly smart script takes full advantage by developing the whole cast nicely, of which Otto and Archie really shine as the best figures in the film. A jealous and neurotic moron, Otto is an incredibly talented marksman, but a moron in every other walk of life. Introducing the running visual gag of having him pop up whenever girlfriend Wanda is set to sleep with Archie, Otto's presence in the film is always a welcome one. Showing him to be deeply unhinged and stupid, Cleese's script constantly establishes him as a figure who lacks any sense of sympathy. Criticizing Ken for his stutter, encouraging him to kill an old woman, calling any other driver whose car he hits an **** or insulting Ken again at the end of the film, Otto's stupidity does not just come from what he knows but in how he treats others. He is funny to watch thanks to Kevin Kline's incredible and well-deserved Oscar winning performance, but is certainly quite a villainous figure with just how sinister and cold he is towards everybody around him. If he cannot gain something out of a situation, he does not care. Lacking empathy and bordering on being a sociopath, Otto is an unhinged and loose cannon just waiting to implode.

Alongside Otto, Archie is a tremendous character. Trapped in this loveless marriage, poor Archie walks right into the bear trap that is Wanda with very little prodding whatsoever. She is sex personified and Archie is absolutely desperate, so it is a natural fit. A smart and capable barrister, Archie is a tad bit dead inside and the opportunity to run off with somebody like Wanda is a welcome one. While his descent into becoming a criminal may seem a bit much on the surface, for a man so cooped up and dependent on his wife, he is liable to do anything once given the leeway and freedom to actually make up his own mind and not deal with somebody's **** constantly. Portraying the character himself, John Cleese is outstanding. Infusing the film with great comedy in the writing of the character, Cleese's relatively straight performance that slowly becomes more-and-more comedic in nature as he ascends into freedom, Cleese plays this repressed and locked up husband figure terrifically and with great spirit. While Kline steals the show, Cleese's comedic performance consistently delivers laughs, while his dramatic performance early on convinces the audience that he is in fact an incredibly successful barrister.