Artivels Undescribable Perfection

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

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

thinbeach Buster plays a pampered wealthy aristocrat, who in order to experience a bit of rough and tumble and become "a real man" as his father wishes, goes on a hunting and camping expedition with his assistant. As is often the case in Keaton films he is a fish out of water, and we get numerous funny moments about the foolishness of someone in an unfamiliar environment - from uncertainty about walking through the woods at night, to dining in a suit with three sets of cutlery on a table (with cloth of course) erected by the river. While there he meets a beautiful woman he wishes to marry, but her hard edged father and brother won't approve of such a city slicker who appears unable to look after himself without an assistant, so Buster is forced to assume the identity of a champion boxer with the same name in order to win them over. This leads him to a training camp in the mountains, where the real champion boxer mistakenly believes Buster is flirting with his wife, and a nasty grudge ensues.The tightly woven plot is one of Keaton's best, full of twists that while improbable, are not outside the realm of possibility enough to turn you away, and we humorously get a story about the power of attraction, and the lengths one will go to in order to win the one they love. As usual with Keaton films, it is often the small details along the way that charm the best. A scene where the two young lovers are so involved in their conversation they don't notice the table and chairs sinking into the soft ground until their faces are only inches apart. It is moments like these that show why Keaton was one of, if not the greatest silent filmmaker, for without dialogue he is expertly able to show the progression of the relationship from far apart strangers to infatuated friends, with a wonderful visual and a laugh to boot. Elsewhere he gets good laughs out of the difficulty climbing in and out of a boxing ring, the dangerous driving of country roads, and the unreliability of newspaper columns - the love advice therein proving of no help. It also happens to feature excellent cinematography, some of the finest cinematography I've seen in a Keaton film.If there is one let down to this film however, unusually for Keaton, it is the climax. While not without it's charms, it fails to deliver the otherworldly uniqueness of his more regarded films, which is probably the reason it doesn't tend to be raved about as much. Still, just as it doesn't reach his highest of highs, it doesn't fall to any lows either, and is a joy to watch.

MissSimonetta Battling Butler (1926) is not Buster Keaton's highest achievement by any means, but it is a fun, lightweight little movie. It's not filled with belly laughs, but great character development, a handsome and shirtless Buster Keaton, and a sweet romantic subplot all compensate.Of note is Keaton's leading lady, Sally O'Neil, who defies the stereotype of the incompetent Keaton love interest. She's spunky, sweet, and able to take care of herself, certainly more so than her beloved.The final fight where Buster lashes out in rage is bizarre, a jolt from the sleepy-eyed look he has throughout the film. He's so ferocious that it almost feels uncharacteristic of Keaton's established screen persona.Overall, worth a watch if you crave some light entertainment.

frankgaipa This relatively slight Keaton effort includes some intricate identity switching, but let me describe instead one superb bit of choreography. Near the end of the riverside idyll, rich pansy Keaton's met farmer's daughter Sally O'Neil, they've fallen for each other, and been discovered by her father and brother. After a brief unhappy confrontation, the father and brother disappear through a clump of trees to the left. Night comes, and Keaton walks O'Neil home through the same clump of trees. Arriving, they turn and face each other, somewhat at ease now, from opposite sides of the gate. The father and brother, seeming even larger than they are because they enter from nearer the camera, come storming from the right, pass between the couple, through the gate, and up some steps into the house. The couple look away from us to the house, then at each other. Keaton begins to take his leave, and they both look slightly right, roughly toward us, at the route he will take. He starts off, but takes fright of the trees. She sees, catches up and walks him home, then walks back. The to and fro, the coming and going, of all this is delightful. It's delightfully timed and executed. (If you pay closer attention than you're supposed to, you'll realize it's a smallish set, the forest is a tree or two, and Keaton's tent maybe 50 strides from the house, probably in full view of it.)Great shot later: Keaton clad only in boxing shorts, shoes, and top hat, bare-chested, walking O'Neil through an authentic-looking evening-dressed crowd along a real-looking downtown street.

Sleepy-17 Keaton shows off his physical mimicry as a wealthy fop who must train as a prize fighter, but the climactic payoff doesn't deliver so great a punch: Keaton misses the Big Bout and fights the winner in the locker room! Good stuff, but a lesser effort.