THE BELLBOY (1960) - ♦♦♦

Directed by - Jerry Lewis

Written by - Jerry Lewis

Starring - Jerry Lewis

"The Bellboy is a polarising film in the slapstick comedy audience. 

A lot of people consider it to be Jerry Lewis' finest moment. These are the people that are able to admire the way in which in this film, with a minimal storyline and a rapid fire succession of slapstick sequences, he is much more free to show off his unique comedic persona in a way in which is rarely ever seen in other more restrictive of his vehicles - most of which, it must be said, have not aged very gracefully. 

An essential problem of the film is that it gravitates around one's appreciation of this characteristic comedic persona of Jerry Lewis, and some people simply have little time for his goofball personality and exaggerated facial expressions, a style that counters the often deadpan style of most celebrated figures in the slapstick genre. 

In many ways, The Bellboy also feels like the vanity project of Jerry Lewis, which is another factor that makes the film polarising. In the best of sequences, it comes close to seeming as ingenious as a work by Jacques Tati. At its worse, it is downright irritating and annoying. A required taste.

Comedy, USA