Touches You

Don't listen to the negative reviews

A lot of fun.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"I guess I'm just a little irritable" confesses Gwen Kellerman (Dennis), after the insufferable misfortunes she and her hubby George (Lemmon) have been gone through within a lesser-than- twelve-hour stretch, and end up being stranded in the Central Park of NYC, is probably what a first-time viewer vicariously feels at that exact point, and the misery is far from winding up.A Neil Simon's comedy directed by Arthur Hiller, who was in his heyday with a major awards contender LOVE STORY (1970) in the can the same year in December. The story involves a concatenation of mishaps which are constituted with hoary incidents, befall on the ill-fated couple from a small town in Ohio. George is scheduled to have an interview for a job promotion in NYC, which seems to be a cinch to get. So he arranges a stay in the Waldorf-Astoria, and a fancy dinner in the Four Season with Gwen, but starts with the busy air traffic control and an unexpected heavy fog around Kennedy International Airport, their voyage turns out to be an unabated chain of nightmares, whatever contretemps could possibly happen to the out-of-towners, happens, and they are all heavy-handedly implemented.Jack Lemmon has never looked so jaded and aggrieved, and Sandy Dennis has deteriorated into a ceaseless vent of annoyance as their plight aggravates. The movie is a farce intemperately piles up all possible gags consecutively, without any discretion to varnish a tad of empathy and reasoning onto its rudimentary ballast of cheap laughters. "New York will not stop me", this is the spirit, it is self-boasting individualism Vs. collective machinery of a metropolis, bluntly juxtaposed with a ridicule about bourgeois esprit and a then-topical reference of Cuba. You are aware of the intention, but can hardly buy it for the in-your-face combo-package.How much fun can one get from watching other people's misery? This film provides a feasible answer: nil if you overcook it, that is the unmistakable blunder trips THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS, it's as if you are watching a chapter of FINAL DESTINATION, waiting for something bad regularly occurring but in this case, death is not an option, not even on a hijacked plane to Cuba.

I have been visiting NYC since the early 70's, so I was most interested to see if any fond memories highlighted this collaboration. As a huge fan of Lemon, I knew this film would be first rate. Oy Vey! What a challenge to watch even 5 minutes between commercials for another film.First, you have a high level executive interview which translates, at least to most I assume, this guy has it going on. They used Travel Agencies back then, hence this big time NYC company would use only the best. Of course they would be aware of the perils of taking a late flight the night BEFORE an early appointment which might POSSIBLY lead to difficulties. Hence, right off the bat I am being conned into the ramifications of implausible events.Comedy typically comes from unexpected actions and consequences and when you see them coming at every turn it gets EXTREMELY boring! Whoever read this script and kept laughing every five minutes to give the green light owed Mr. Simon a HUGE debt or knew where the bodies were buried.I believe Lemon accepted the role without reading the script and this explains his involvement in such a deleterious role. Dennis was bad enough in WAOVW, so was prepared for yet another annoying performance.Perhaps if you had him coming to town to visit a dying relative and develop the comic action in the ICU this would have more credibility. I advise anyone considering this worse than drivel of a film to complete avoidance.I can only recommend for those who want to see reminders of the old NYC and how it was regarded as a languid, sorrowful, corrupt city and how mightily it reincarnated and rose from the ashes to become the shining star of destination locations in the world.Simon, this was your town and no one wanted to live there anyways then, so why the F U??? Please explain if we ever meet.

What a great movie! A script by a genius performed by two actors at the top of their game. Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis are just marvellous as a middle-aged couple who endure a hellish journey to New York where Lemmon as George Kellerman is due to attend an interview the next morning. The incidents which occur are all totally believable as is Lemmon's character's reaction to them. His long-suffering wife has infinite patience and is an excellent foil to her increasingly irate husband. Only Neil Simon could have written this as brilliantly as he did. He has an ear for the rhythm of speech and the appropriate turn of phrase in any given situation. My wife and I have seen this film a few times and find it funnier each time we see it. The people that have reviewed this poorly must have no sense of humour.

The real fascinating thing about cinema,is that no matter how many movies you might have seen,there are always going to be films that you have missed and are great ,to say the least.This is the case with the "Out of Towners". I saw a few years ago the remake with Steve Martin and as a big fan of Steve's i liked the film.Actually i didn't know back then ,that there was an original with Jack Lemmon.Anyway i have bought the DVD and just put it in a box to watch it sometime. I never thought, that this was an absolutely hilarious comedy ,with Jack Lemmon, for me ,being even better than "the odd couple". His character is similar to the one he played alongside Matthau ,but we are talking about an amazing performance here.I'm really surprised that he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar(he was nominated though for a Golden Globe). A couple (Sandy Dennis plays the wife)starts a journey to N.Y ,because Lemmon has planned an interview for his new job.He has a strict schedule that includes dinner at the "4 Seasons" restaurant and spending the night with his wife at his luxury hotel. I really can't describe what's happening after the boarding on the plane.EVERYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG WENT WRONG. But the real magic of the film is that at no point in the film ,you can accuse the writers that they overdid it with the story.And Lemmon has a big part to do with that, because he plays amazingly. Sandy Dennis also plays her part extremely well and has a fine chemistry with Lemmon. A classic in my collection ,with out a doubt in the top-5 of all the comedies i have ever watched. Watch it and enjoy yourselves.