Save your money for something good and enjoyable

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A musical comedy by a director who knew nothing about either genre. Should be a requirement in every film school curriculum, subject: The Dangers of Film School, or Sometimes They Who Remember the Past Are Even More Doomed to Repeat It Than Those Who Don't. This could be called Bogdanovich's "1941." I wonder if Spielberg looks at Bogdanovich's career and shivers in fear, wondering where he'd be if he'd followed "1941" with "Hook" and "Amistad" instead of "Raiders" and "ET"? Probably where PB is, writing books and making excuses. Where would Bogdanovich be if he'd just dug into directing instead of cinematic scholarship? No career has ever gotten off to such a rousing start then died so completely. With this picture. Could he have been so enamored of Orson Welles that he was compelled to share his fate, be the modern Orson Welles? There really is nothing particularly wrong with "ALLL", but there's nothing especially right about it either. It's like Hill House: a collection of small wrong angles that add up to a massive distortion of the whole. You can start with the fact that except for Madeline Kahn none of the cast was much of a singer or dancer, and as has been repeatedly pointed out, his recording them live only made things worse. And though Maddy is the sole laughable and listenable thing in the picture, she only serves to emphasize everyone else's lack of these qualities. My God, the woman even blows cigarette smoke out humorously--like a belch. Even more than with "What's Up Doc" PB showed he knew the letter of the law without having the slightest grasp of the spirit. I add this as an afterthought: this misguided missile may finally have been the last nail in the coffin of that (by then) long moribund tradition known as The Classic Hollywood Musical, especially of the wretched practice begun with "Camelot" of having non-singing actors sing, or try to. "Paint Your Wagon" was worse, but this was the final curtain. My wife opined that PB was trying to kill off the musical the way "Blazing Saddles" killed the Western. I've never been able to dispute her, then or since.

While I have to say that Cybill Shepherd's voice got better as the film progressed, nonetheless, this was a miserable 1975 film. 1975. The best picture winner was "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Believe me, you had to be cuckoo to pay admission to see this film.Yes, while Peter Bogdanovich tried to pay homage to the 1930 musicals with the beautiful music of Cole Porter, assembling non-singers to do this, was outrageous at best. Burt Reynolds, with his suave good intentions, didn't have the range for it. Although, it may be said that he could kick up his dance heels. Madeleine Kahn should have been allowed to be her natural self in this one.Eileen Brennan and chauffeur John Hillerman made good chemistry. However, the movie didn't do justice to the period. Mildred Natwick, of all people, played the mother of Reynolds and engaged in the mayhem.The cast sang among other Porter hits: You're the top! This picture was sure the opposite.

Granted, this movie is flawed and far from the greatest movie musical of all time, but I do not think it is down there with Xanadu, Can't Stop the Music, Mame, The Wiz and A Chorus Line as among the worst. That said, it is somewhat of a guilty pleasure especially for the music and cast.The story though(while essentially a homage to 30s musicals, an idea I liked) is rather weak, and the script could have done with more work. The film is also overlong, and some of the singing especially from Burt Reynolds(never liked his singing even on All Dogs Go to Heaven) and Cybill Shepherd is not that great, though I think Mame's singing is worse.However, I don't think At Long Last Love deserves its meagre reputation. I honestly think there are worse movie musicals and worse movies too. Peter Bogdanovich is a rather curious choice for director but he does well. I would not put At Long Last Love up there with his masterpieces What's Up Doc?, Paper Moon and especially The Last Picture Show though. The film looks decent, with some nice cinematography and production values. The choreography is nicely done in general, while the songs and score are outstanding. I loved the cast, Madeline Kahn was a treasure and she is delightful here and she has one of the better singing voices in the movie, as is Eileen Brennan. People may say the characters are dull, some are, but in Brennan's case because of the way she acts it which is brilliant by the way her character is the anti-thesis of dull. The only real weak link, as Reynolds and Sheppard are actually fairly reasonable when it comes to the acting, is Del Prete, whose character and performance does get annoying.Overall, At Long Last Love is far from a masterpiece and has a lot of glaring problems but due to the cast and music it is for me not that bad. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Over the years, I've seen many many musicals, all the classics (from the late twenties to the mid-sixties)and a lot of modern ones. I had never seen "At Long Last Love", which doesn't exist on tape or DVD. Eventually, I got a copy (from the television) and I really loved this movie. I surely wouldn't say it's perfect but it has a tremendous charm. And perhaps it's even more compelling because it's a bit clumsy. Some great musicals SHOULD be available on DVD : "Porgy & Bess", for example, and the James Whale's version of "Show Boat" (1936). AND "At Long Last Love", which truly deserves to be recognized as one of most endearing and original musicals.