Foul Play (1978)

Directed by: Colin Higgins | 115 minutes | comedy, thriller | Actors: Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Burgess Meredith, Rachel Roberts, Eugene Roche, Dudley Moore, Marilyn Sokol, Brian Dennehy, Marc Lawrence, Chuck McCann, Billy Barty, Don Calfa, Bruce Solomon, Cooper Huckabee, Pat Ast, Frances Bay, Lou Cutell, William Frankfather, John Hancock, Barbara Sammeth, Queenie Smith, Hope Summers

Hard to hate them, those wonderfully old-fashioned classic thrillers. If also Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase play the lead roles, you have to give in as a film lover. ‘Foul Play’ was released a few decades ago and therefore exudes exactly the atmosphere of the 70s and earlier. Hawn plays the charming Gloria, who is chased overnight by a mysterious killer. In the beginning everyone thinks she’s crazy, she’s imagining it, but the threats are getting more serious. The police have no choice but to intervene and Gloria’s security guard (Chase) happens to be a very endearing, almost irresistible cop…

It is immediately apparent that the film is a bit older. In addition to the image quality, of course, the environment, decoration, structure and content are in accordance with classic film conventions. Thriller king Alfred Hitchcock has clearly been a source of inspiration for director Colin Higgins, which is noticeable in, for example, the atmospheric and tension-building music. Furthermore, Hitchcock’s famous suspense technique returns, in which the viewer is aware of more than the characters. In this case, it’s about a suspicious cigarette pack that’s more important than the characters realize. ‘Foul Play’ is not just any thriller, however, because the detective story is brightened up by old-fashioned slapstick humor. From a dwarf dangling out of the window to a blow-up doll flying around, Higgins certainly knows how to create some ridiculous scenes.

Hawn and Chase are very charming and likeable characters, but in general the acting is not very believable. Of course this also has to do with the era and style of the film, but for the 21st century audience this can still be an obstacle. All clues are extensively discussed explicitly and often even repeated a few times. This leaves little for the viewer’s imagination, while fun puzzling and speculating is the fun thing about thrillers. This fantasy-killing aspect is enhanced by the film’s sheer slowness. What is covered in two hours could easily have been done in 90 minutes or less, as many scenes could have been cut in half. As much as we love watching Hawn, watching her shift a chair for a minute probably won’t warm anyone. The tension subsides after an hour and although the slapstick humor is entertaining in a faint way, it unfortunately contradicts the essence of a thriller. The action scenes are more laughable than exciting, for example an amateur karate fight makes you laugh so much that you almost forget that this is the climax of the film. The sexist jokes are certainly amusing, but perhaps make ‘Foul Play’ just a bit too light-hearted.

‘Foul Play’ may have been a good thriller in the past, but unfortunately it has outgrown its time. While the typical clichés are touching at first, the extended stage kiss with a standing ovation is really cringe-inducing. The film tries to be a thriller, slapstick and romantic comedy at the same time, with which Higgins takes too much on his fork. Because of the chaotic combination of genres, they all don’t come into their own. While this tribute to Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock is quite entertaining, it’s nowhere near as good as its predecessors.