#131
One of America’s greatest comic legends, Elaine May, made her debut as writer and director in the wonderful A New Leaf. Unanimously acclaimed from the start, but unavailable for many years, it now stands as a classic alongside Harold and Maude, Bananas and M*A*S*H* as a key film in the new direction of American screen comedy in the 1970s.
The great Walter Matthau stars as Henry, a once-rich playboy who has obliviously spent his entire inheritance. Desperate to marry into further financial support, he meets Henrietta (Elaine May), a shy, awkward, though independently wealthy botany professor. What follows is a giddy tale of dubious legal advice, ruthless skullduggery and ferns.
A most unorthodox romantic comedy, stuffed with deadpan hilarity and brilliant comic invention, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present its UK home video première in a new Dual-Format edition.
Reviews:
“drastically under appreciated genius… bright, dark, mad 1971 comedy…hilarious ” – Uncut Magazine
“Matthau’s asexual cad squeezes all the juice from a script mixing aphoristic repartee, physical humour and astringent black comedy..Headily sharp tone, wit and performances snap, fizz and pop in the arsenic-laced cocktail which remains” – The Arts Desk
“Every line and every laugh are as dry as a sand martini” – Empire
“a modern screwball on par with the classics” – Little White Lies
“deft mix of erudition, slapstick and pitch-black wit, and the stars’ off-kilter chemistry is a joy ★★★★★” – Total Film
