Customer Reviews

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My favorite team strikes again in this wonderful adaptation of the stage play, that team being Neil Simon and Jack Lemmon. First there was "The Odd Couple", then "The Out-of-Towners", both classics in my opinion. But "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" may be the finest of the three because it allows its players to flex every bit of acting muscle they've got. Lemmon displays a broad range of emotions--convincingly--and has the viewer alternately laughing and crying as the movie progresses. Anne Bancroft is good as his steady, patient wife Edna, who remains true to Mel as he battles his crises. This is a must see, and unless you purchase the video, you'll probably encounter difficulty finding it at the local video store.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. It shows the funny side of people only concerned about themselves. You have Jack Lemmon as a recently unemployed adman, and Anne Bancroft as his sympathetic yet let's be practical wife. I feel that this is both thier finest hours in this movie as the chemistry shows that they really enjoyed working with each other. I find Lemmon's character is one who just can't believe that his career is over, and he's nowhere near the age of retirement, and plus he's from the old school where the woman stayed at home while the man goes out, and gets the meat. When Bancroft's character goes to work it causes a breakdown in Lemmon's character as his perfect world continues to crumble making him hostile towards everyone; his family, friends, his wife, the upstairs neighbor(which the arguments between them are simpily hilarious), and Lemmon's own character's desire to get even, and win one for his own glory; so he ends up mugging a man in Central Park (played by Sylvester Stallone)because he thought it was the other way around. Bancroft's character is also becoming unglued by the constant work, and then she's laid off. There's also Lemmon's character's brother who's in love with hearing himself talk about how analytical his thinking is, and don't forget that upstairs neighbor who just wants peace and quiet in his perfect world because he has his own worries to deal with. Filmed in New York City I guess Neil Simon would know what NYC is like from a personal experience which is why this is so funny, and let's not forget the narrator who takes us through the news stories throughout. Should be allowed to come back on the t.v. again, and give America something funny to watch.

For some reason, probably because I watched this again shortly after Anne Bancroft passed away, and of course watching the always terrific Jack Lemmon at the top of his game (at my current age!) playing yet another of those wonderful angst driven characters using words created by Neil Simon, for that reason perhaps I was struck by our mortality. This film was made just a few short years ago, and yet all the actors are gone,and they left looking 'old'. My God, where does the time go?
This is not the funniest film you'll see, some of it is sad and human, but it has moments of comic brilliance. Its eminently watchable thanks to the two main actors and their great talent; its sad, its wistful, its a slice of New York that we will never see again, and I plan on watching it again soon.
I'm glad its in my collection although it left me with a bit of a lump in my throat. They were just so good, these comic talents, and it was just a few moments ago, wasn't it?

Yet another Simon and Lemmon partnership that still holds up well today! Lemmon and Bancroft are teriffic in this very funny film. In the same vein as 'The Out-Of-Towners, but I think this film is a bit better. This DVD has a nice transfer and some interesting extras.

I have watched this movie at least 25 times and it is still laugh out loud enjoyable as well emotionally touching.The comedic timing between Anne Bancroft and Jack Lemmon is unsurpassed by any other actors.You won't be disappointed watching this.

To my way of thinking, this is the highest form of comedy: it is the kind of comedy that makes us laugh and cry at the same time; it is the kind of comedy that captures something about who we are, and presents it in such a forgiving and loving light that we simultaneously laugh and ache. For me, the quintessential example of this is the boxing scene in City Lights, which is as tragic as it is hilarious. "Prisoner of Second Avenue" is, in a sense, an entire play about this boxing scene: it is about the struggle to survive in a cold and almost brutal world. The only difference is that, in the boxing scene, the hero chooses to take a beating in order to save someone else, while here the two heroes struggle to survive as a team. In the final scene, we know that this team has won, not because a new job has been located, but because this team will prevail. What a wonderful homage to the strength of the human spirit! Couple this with the exceptional (as always) performances of two great actors: Anne Bancroft and Jack Lemon, and you have what I think is a true gem.

By the way...it's time to bring this in DVD!

This movie is among the greatest twenty american comedies in any age.
Lemmon is superb and the lovely Anne Bancroft(Miracle worker) makes a great couple.
It's incredible how this work has been so underestimated.
A must for everyone.
A lot of laughable gags.

This is the third in a trio of classic comedies written by Neil Simon and starring(onscreen) Jack Lemmon. This movie delivers laugh after laugh without slapsick, and without the cheesiness of some of Simon's later works. (The Goodbye Girl) This movie earns five stars from me not only because it's a great comedy, but this movie gives the viewer a heartfelt lesson in humanity as well. See it at all costs. Worth owning, too, I've all but worn my copy out.

It's incredibkle this movie has been so underestimated.
The plot is plenty of laughable situations. A well script and above all the presence of this wonderful couple.
The unique Jack Lemmon and the lovely Anne Bancroft an extraordinary gifted actress. (Miracle worker)
Under no circunstance you should doubt about the virtues of that film, because if you edit the twenty best american comedy films in any age, this film deserves to be in that list.

This is one of Jack Lemmon's best movies. Well written and acted. A real pleasure. Anne Bancroft was as funny Lemmon. Well worth the price