This is a gentle heart warming film, that to me has a quintessential qualities that make Walter Mathau such a great actor. It is not the comedy in which he excelled at in films like 'The Odd Couple'. It is the way he bullies the script and the camera. This he does well but with not as much aplomb in 'The Sunshine Bys'. To see a film where the script is paramount is wonderful, and to have an actor such as Mathau at the centre of it conducting it with all his mastery skill is a delight to watch. The supporting cast around Mathau equip themselves well. They are not overpowered by his fame or skill. At times it feels as though you are actually there watching events unfold. This is a credit to the director who while keeping it looking like the good film it is, also brings you in as though you are the only person in the world watching the film. Although I have only watched the film on the television, I feel that I would have felt the same effect had I been watching the film in the cinema. This is a rare effect, too many times films can have that distant feel. It is the directors's skill, and the skill and art of the actors that this is never lost. I watched this film, when I had to fill half an hour of time. The result was that I was glued to the seat unable to pull myself away.
