Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
Starring: George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Morley, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort
Apart from the enjoyable business of seeing actually pleasant, attractive people in a cleverly written romantic comedy (something we see far too little of these days), Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? is generally representative of the kind of star comedy that no longer seems to be made. You know the kind: tailored cinematic vehicles for movie stars that serve no real function other than providing a couple of hours of entertainment, and that manage to do so with a seeming minimum of effort. When this film was shown locally a couple of years ago, I wrote, “Make no mistake, this is not some unsung classic. It is, however, a pleasant diversion in which likable stars engage in clever banter, and it’s built around a solid enough little murder mystery—all enlivened by the presence of a marvelously sarcastic Robert Morley making rude comments on just about everyone and everything that crosses his path. The screenplay by Peter Stone (of Charade (1963) fame) is unfailingly successful in making the romantic leads (George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset) both funny and appealing. In this regard, it’s very much a ‘movie’ movie, because you know from the onset that this divorced duo are going to end up back together, but you actually want them to.” The full review is here.
Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 27, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com
In Brief: Enjoyable, if unexceptional, star-studded comedy thriller of a type we don’t see anymore. Essentially, it’s a slightly silly romantic comedy with George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset as a divorced couple—both working in very different capacities in the world of food—who become involved in the self-descriptive mystery of the title. Holding things together is a very funny Robet Morley as a wonderfully sarcastic gourmand.
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