Review of Hopscotch (1980) by Mereie D — 19 Oct 2009

Ok, I realize this light-hearted espionage comedy is worth no more than 3 stars, but I rate it 4 because I like it so much. I like it in many respects, most of which are very obvious. Who can't like a pompous idiot like Beatty, with his picture collections of himself, his target-shooting cards with all the holes in the bull's eyes, and his priceless remarks (about his wife - when she brings him the wrong tea: "They should have terminated her twenty years ago").

Or the predictable cat-and-mouse game Matthau is playing with his former bosses, and which takes us all over the world. I also liked the fact that Sam Waterston's character actually prefers Matthau to his own boss, and makes no secret of this (Beatty: "What are they doing?" Waterston: "They're shooting up your house, sir").

Another reason why I enjoy "Hopscotch" is the element of the travelling author, I think. This element is also the basis of "Pulp" (1972) with Michael Caine, another movie worth 3 stars from an objective point of view, but 4 stars in my book.