Charlie's Ear
It’s Harold Blodgett’s birthday, and the poor guy’s having a rough time of it. The alarm clock won’t shut off, his wife won’t wake up, the cleaner’s neglected to get that annoying stain out of his trousers, and so on. To cap it off, when he returns home from the office that same day, he finds a mysterious pair of shady characters lounging around his apartment. According to them, Harold hired them to murder his wife, and they’ve done just that. Have they? Did he? What’s going on here?
Insights
Plot Summary
A washed-up Hollywood director, desperate for a comeback, attempts to make a controversial film about a Jewish mobster. He soon finds himself entangled in a bizarre and dangerous situation that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, forcing him to confront his own ambition and the eccentric personalities surrounding his project.
Critical Reception
Charlie's Ear was met with a largely negative reception from critics, who found its humor to be crude and uninspired, and its plot convoluted. Audience reception was similarly lukewarm, with many finding the film to be a disappointing entry in the comedy genre.
What Reviewers Say
- The film suffers from a lack of coherent plot and relies too heavily on lowbrow gags.
- Mel Brooks's performance, while energetic, cannot save the material from its inherent weaknesses.
- Many critics noted a failure to recapture the magic of earlier Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker comedies.
Google audience: Audiences found the film to be an unfunny and confusing experience, with many criticizing its predictable humor and nonsensical storyline. Some viewers appreciated Mel Brooks's presence but felt he was underutilized in a weak script.
Fun Fact
The film's original working title was 'The Godfather of the Bronx' before being changed to 'Charlie's Ear'.
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