The Last of Sheila (1973)

CLEVER, FUNNY, AND JUST FABULOUSLY SCRIPTED!
If you love mysteries and are tired of the brainless detective films being released on a regular basis these days, you OWE it to yourself to watch this taut yet darkly sardonic thriller!

The Agatha Christie type script (Death on the river Nile, for instance, where many plausible clues are dropped for attentive members of the audience) is nothing if not supremely intricate and as much of a guesser as I am, the film has me riveted every time I watch it.

With the possible exception of Welch, who may be guilty of being somewhat deadpan as the glam queen, almost every other actor comfortably nails his role. Great timing.

Despite the relatively dry DVD (nothing special in the "special features") I highly, highly recommend this fabulous feast of film. Buy it, for you will watch it more than once for sure.

Finally - the DVD of this wonderful brainteaser of a film
The Last of Sheila is a love or hate for most folks. I fall into the love category. A GREAT cast beautifully embodies the twisted, neurotic hollywood-types in this whodoneit or even whodonewhat for that matter. The screenplay is full of incredibly witty, sharp dialogue and it layers puzzle upon puzzle until the very end. Then - one last joke at Hollywood's expense before the final credits. Coburn, Benjamin, Cannon and Mason are particularly excellent here. Some flashback twists might get confusing, but keep watching - it pays off beautifully. Oh, and Bette Midler's closing credits number is just the perfect iceing on this multi-layered, very dark chocolate cake. Just excellent!

An Evening with Dyan, Richard, and Raquel.
The first wonderful thing about "The Last of Sheila" directed by Herb Ross is that it's a who-done-it of the first order. The writing by Tony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim is masterful and packed with insider Hollywood dish. The cast is second to none and all working at the top of their form. There are a few particular standout performances. James Mason gives us his restrained all in the pivotal roll of Phillip. He adds in the process this film to his long and distinguished list of credits. Raquel Welsh brings out for our appreciation the famous Raqui figure but also in this, her follow up to her first great roll in "Kansas City Bomber", she shows a little more of her range than most expected or allowed her at the time. Joan Hackett as Lee is touching and brilliant in one of the best rolls of her too short career. The incendiary Dyan Cannon inhabits Christine and with her raucous laugh steals the show from everyone with her thinly veiled "Sue Mengers" Agent to the stars turn...

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