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Houseboat

Posted : 11 years, 7 months ago on 27 August 2012 09:07

Houseboat is proof that with the right movie stars, they make any old hackneyed script immensely watchable and enjoyable. It doesn’t help when the movie stars are as attractive and magnetic as Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. The screenplay is pure fluff and riddled with clichés – newly single father, unruly children, outsider who comes into the home and begins to fix everything, love story, new step-mom by the final scene – and is really only worth a look for Grant and Loren, and the one new idea it brings to the table. The new idea? That the children are real people who like the outsider as their friend, but may not like her as their new mom. The kids are conflicted about someone possibly “replacing” their mother and act out accordingly. Of course Cary Grant could do this kind of part blindfolded and backwards, but it still brings his normal level of energy and wit to the part. Say what you will about some of his lesser pictures, but I can’t think of a single time where Cary Grant was clearly slumming it for the paycheck. And Sophia Loren is an earthy sex goddess displaying a distinct talent for light comedy. She wears lovely outfits, looks gorgeous, earns her laughs, and more than holds her own against Grant, which is no easy task. Sure, it’s pure sitcom-level pastry dessert, but with two stars like these it’s worth watching at least once.


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