Save the Tiger movie review

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    Save the Tiger(1973)

    Im an inordinate fan of the timeframe in American cinema between 1965, when

    the studio system fell into irrevocable decline, and 1975, before it revived itself inthe form of the summer blockbuster. For ten years Hollywood had almost no ideawhat would work and what wouldnt, where to turn or which films to bet on; as aresult we got a lot of crap, but we also got some wonderful and unique films thatprobably wouldnt have been made at any other time (or at least not made thesame way). I would posit Save the Tigerfalls into this category.

    A 1973 vehicle for Jack Lemmon, Tigeris a look at a day (or so) in the life of HarryStoner, business manager at a womens clothing design factory that is slowly losingmoney. Everything about the set-up screams early 70s Harry and his wife aremarried but barely communicate. His personal economy is going down the tubes,the trade show hes overseeing is causing him stress to the point of distraction, andthe world as he knows it is collapsing all around him.

    This is really more of a character piece than a plot-driven film, and its consumedwith examining the decline of single individual not an evil man, but one whocompromises and compromises until theres really no core left at all, nothing insidebut a hollow shell. Even when Harry finds momentary diversion with a young

    hitchhiker at her beach house, its still just a moment of bliss in a never-endingstorm. Harry wonders throughout the film, like America at that time, how he couldhave played by the rules and done everything he was supposed to and yet findhimself in such an unenviable place. Like the titular tiger, he finds himself anendangered species in a world he once dominated.

    Im usually not a big fan of Lemmons I find him too hammy and gimmicky as anactor but hes simply remarkable here, giving an amazing turn and breathing lifeinto what could easily have been an unlikable, forgettable character. You wouldntnecessarily want to befriend Harry, but you cant help but be riveted by his story.The supporting cast all unknowns at this point, none you would even recognizethis many years later are all excellent, but Lemmons performance is so nuancedand flavored that pretty much every other character fades into the background.

    Its not always an easy movie to watch seeing a man uneasily discard what fewscruples he might have left and realize it even as hes doing it can be a challenging

    affair but the acting and the script are both superb, and the sense of loss, ofregret, is palpable. It might not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy thoughtfulcinema, this movie might be worth seeking out.

    December 14, 2010