The Fortune Cookie – Twilight Time (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1966
Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ron Rich, Cliff Osmond, Judi West, Lurene Tuttle, Harry Holcombe, Les Tremayne, Lauren Gilbert, Marge Redmond

Release Date: April 18th, 2017
Approximate Running Time: 125 Minutes 42 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"The tale focuses on the travels of a TV cameraman (Jack Lemmon) who is injured while shooting a sporting event and then inveigled into an insurance scam by his brother-in-law, the infamous Whiplash Willie (Walter Matthau)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

The Fortune Cookie comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.2 GB

Feature: 31.5 GB

Although the source is dated, it is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, image clarity is solid, contrast and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an isolated music track, and an 8-page booklet with an essay written by Julie Kirgo.

Summary:

A crooked lawyer manipulates his brother-in-law into filing a frivolous lawsuit in hopes of securing a large settlement.

Comedy and tragedy go hand in hand; when executed correctly, these two elements create a synergy. Where modern comedy cinema has shifted to gutter humor, it is always a joy seeing for the first time or revisiting a film by someone like Billy Wilder, who understood better than anyone how to balance comedy and tragedy. That said, far too many modern films lack the core elements that are key to the success of the best comedies; it is why they have endured and continue to resonate.

The most surprising aspect of how comedy had changed over the decades is what subject matter is acceptable and what is considered taboo. A perfect example of a film that falls into this category is The Fortune Cookie; its premise is built up around a protagonist’s physical and emotional suffering. His suffering is compounded by his brother-in-law, a lawyer who specializes in frivolous lawsuits. His situation further spirals out of control when his gold-digging ex-wife enters the fray.

The Fortune Cookie would mark the beginning of the first of 10 films that Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon made together. The Fortune Cookie is also the first of three films Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon made with Billy Wilder. Jack Lemmon (The Apartment) is cast in the role of Harry Hinkle, a TV cameraman who is injured on the job, and Walter Matthau (A New Leaf) in the role of a crooked lawyer named Willie Gingrich. They both deliver exemplary performances, which are greatly aided by their onscreen chemistry. For his performance, Walter Matthau won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The Fortune Cookie features a solid premise, which Billy Wilder fully exploits. The narrative is flawlessly constructed and perfectly paced, and an exceptional finale serves as a perfect coda. There are an abundance of absurd scenarios, which lend themselves to humorous moments that always hit the mark. Another area where The Fortune Cookie excels is the visuals, which do an outstanding job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The Fortune Cookie is a highly entertaining farce that embodies all of the elements that are synonymous with the cinema of Billy Wilder.

The Fortune Cookie gets a strong audio/video presentation from Twilight Time. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer