What's Up, Doc?

Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Year Released: 1972
Rating: 2.0

Feeble attempt at screwball comedy by Bogdanovich, who has fired better with his dramas: here, the casting is part of the problem, as Ryan O'Neal doesn't make a very good musical nerd and Barbra Streisand is equal parts grating and charming as the destructive street-smart gal who falls for him … because she feels like it. Hawks, McCarey, Sturges and Chuck Jones are the inspiration, but there's something mechanical about the execution - likewise, the dialogue doesn't quite flow when coming out of the actors' mouths: it even sounds scripted. The supporting cast does better than the leads - Madeline Kahn's doting fiancé and Kenneth Mars' musical plagiarist are both amusing.