Throwback

I saw the movie Tootsie when it came out in theatres.  I imagine I didn't get a lot out of it, I was a kid, in a small town, with not a lot to do, and we went to the movies.  (I remember seeing 9 to 5 also, but I liked that one more at the time.)  Anyway, I've had an itch to watch it over the past month or so, possibly because I heard the Stephen Bishop song somewhere.  A few weekends ago, I was flipping through channels on the tv and it was on, so I watched the last half.  Last week, I finally went to the video store and rented it.  It's so good.

The cast is strong; the acting, timing, and improv are great (Teri Garr, as Sandy, is hilarious.)  The story's good, basically, Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) learns how to be a better man by pretending to be a woman.  The writing (plot, story arc, character arc, set-up, resolution), directing, cinematography, editing, all great.

I watched it with the commentary on last night, which was fun.  And Sydney Pollack (director) is generous in the info he shares: helpful for actors, screenwriters, directors, and cinematographers.  He talks about the choices made in all of the above, the why and the how.  I might have to buy it for the commentary, I'm getting a lot out of it.

My only critique would be as to the use of point-of-view in some of the single shots, and this is from sitting in the critiques in the directing for film class, (and it's often shot this way), when the characters are facing each other, and the camera angle is coming in from the side and not over-the-shoulder of the receiving character, I wonder who's looking at the character speaking.  If I'd never sat through the critiques, I probably wouldn't care, and it doesn't necessarily distract from the story, but I notice it now.