Friday, 30 March 2012

30th Mar 2012 The Bird Cage

Mar 30A
Unless Prince Charming pops up unannounced tonight, I will be watching a film I have seen several times over the years: the original in France during one of my travels, on stage in London, on TV in Germany & England, also in Spain some while ago and it's back again tonight.
 
This one was directed by Mike Nichols and starred Robin Williams and Gene Hackman. It's the American version of a famous French comedy, centred on a mature gay couple, whose peaceful and harmonious existence was completely altered with the announcement of marriage by the son of one of them. Doesn't sound funny summing it up like that, but I can assure you it's hilariously funny, a master piece in the comedy category, a real gem of entertainment.

Most strange & inexplicable is the translation of the title in Spanish ' Jaula de Grillos' (jaula - cage, grillos - crickets). Why the insect cricket? Don't the Spanish have birds? It baffles me always why they are so fond of giving names to films that are as remotely connected to the original titles as possible, nearly always. If the change explain better the story, more poetic, more attractive or enticing, more suggestive ... but no, just different and often very puzzling. Call it what they will, it's a great comedy. 
 

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