The April Fools (1969)

Synopsis:

An unhappily married stockbroker (Jack Lemmon, The Apartment) falls for a beautiful woman (Catherine Deneuve, Repulsion) he meets at a party. But the lady in question turns out to be his boss’s (Peter Lawford, Good News) wife.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“She’s a princess, and I’m a frog who got changed into a prince.”

Entertaining, fairly amusing and very romantic comedy-drama bathed in counter-culture angst. The April Fools is one of many movies from the era that attacked both conventional values and the “9 to 5” mentality.

I was tempted to use the word “dated,” but I have noticed that this anti-corporate-work model has had a resurgence in the last decade, so maybe young viewers will find something here they can relate to. In addition, I’m pretty sure that once in a while most people fantasize about having no responsibilities, and the movie provides an opportunity for viewers to live vicariously through the characters.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg (Cool Hand Luke) from a script by Hal Dresner (The Eiger Sanction), The April Fools is helped immeasurably by Jack Lemmon’s realistic performance. The film plays like a sequel to The Apartment, with Lemmon once again playing a nervy cubicle man (Shirley McLaine, who had played Lemmon’s love interest in The Apartment, was initially cast in Catherine Deneuve’s role).

Deneuve, who is often described as “exotic,” “glacial,” and “humorless,” is extremely charming, even down to earth as Lemmon’s object of affection. Frankly, I didn’t think she had the temperament and/or timing to do a romantic comedy, but she proved me wrong — Deneuve is effective as a sort of European version of Doris Day.

Peter Lawford is fine as Denueve’s nasty husband. Sally Kellerman (M*A*S*H) plays Lemmon’s wife. Masters of sophistication, Charles Boyer (Gaslight) and Myrna Loy (The Thin Man), are added bonuses — they play a stylish couple who give Lemmon and Deneuve much-needed advice. Melinda Dillon (Absence of Malice), Kenneth Mars (The Producers) and Jack Weston (The Four Seasons) are also part of the cast.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

The April Fools doesn’t hit the bull’s-eye. The movie does try to say something meaningful about love and happiness. As a time capsule, this is a pretty engaging film. Unfortunately, I didn’t think it was a total success. I found the movie a bit unfocused. I did love the strange, but compelling chemistry between the very American Jack Lemmon and the very European Catherine Deneuve — this is a great odd couple! If you love romantic comedies, you might want to give it a try. Color, 95 minutes, Rated PG.