Man of the Century (1999) User Reviews (54)

Lots of fun

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 20 February 2003]

I've always been fascinated by the way the characters in old movies talk, with their lightning-fast wits and one-liners. So the idea of a man stuck in the 20's and speaking like those characters sounded intriguing to me. And I was impressed. Gibson Frazier perfectly inhabits his fish-out-of-water character, not missing a single beat. I can tell him and the co-writer/director did much research prior to making this movie. There are moments, like the climactic scene, which pay homage to the old slapstick farces.

"Man of the Century" is funny, original and bursting with imagination. It's an independent gem. And at only about 78 minutes, it's short and sweet. Those who are unfamiliar with old movies may not be as amused, but those who are familiar should have a ball.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Harold in Manhattan

[ptb-8 · 7/10 · 27 February 2004]

If Harold Lloyd had lived in 1999 and Woody Allen starred him in a new black and white film set in MANHATTAN, well this would be it. The idea for this film is very funny and it does deliver, musical numbers and all....there is even a Shanghai Lil style detour. It could have easily been more of a musical and easily have tossed in more episodes of Johnny Twennies wrangling modern mannerisms. Gibson Frasier is a real silent movie or Vitaphone hero and the IT girl sensibilities of 'his girl' works. It is only 77 minutes and I actually wanted more. As Johnny says in one very funny toss away line........RATS! The soundtrack which I also have at home as a Saturday morning pick-me-up is cute and accurate for the feel of the film.

A witty and appealing satire

[indy81 · 8/10 · 29 April 1999]

A very enjoyable farce about a 1920s stereotype living in modern New York. Writer/actor Gibson Frazier is excellent as Johnny Twenties, a square-jawed newspaper columnist completely oblivious to any social change of the last seventy years. The comic timing and editing of the film is also very good, though many of the jokes are a bit obvious. The theme of the film is cultural comparison, but it never gets heavy-handed, maintaining an appropriate light and goofy tone at all times. The cliches of 20s movies and literature are all put to good use. Some of the more excessive absurdist scenes detract from the overall tone, but Frazier's performance, the smart script and the "warm and fuzzy" feel of the whole thing should make this film appealing to a wide audience.

One Note Gag that Works like the Bee Knees

[the_mad_mckenna · 9/10 · 18 May 2004]

Some movies are just meant to be a great deal of fun, and this is one of them. What a delight - I'd never heard of it but stumbled on it on IFC and adored it. The sweetness and good-natured aspects of the film are part of the charm, as is the dead-on dialogue, situations and even camera angles/cinematography. For people who try and find reasons why this guy exists or why women would date him, you're missing the point of the movie. The Marx Brothers ending (no spoiler really), and the short Egyptian tomb sequence show the care that was taken with getting all the 1920's aspects down perfectly (and don't forget the musical numbers, when people would break into song in any sort of film back then -well, the talkies at least). Going incognito as Harold Lloyd? too funny - don't pass this one by when it shows up next time!

fun throwback

[backseat-2 · 26 January 2003]

I read Ebert's review of Man of the Century back in 1999, and wanted to see it ever since. Just noticed it on the Blockbuster new releases shelf and immediately forget what it was I went there for. What a treat this little gem is! The wisecracking dialogue, the homage to old movies, the snappy old songs and even some neat dance scenes contribute to the offbeat comedy. Unless you are a teenager with a 5 minute attention span and a chip on your shoulder, you will love this film.

Strange Little Indie Effort

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 22 May 2006]

This strange, independent film is inhabited by a bunch of no-name actors except for Frank Gorshin, who himself hadn't done much since TV shows in the 1960s. However, the acting was fine: no complaints there. The black-and-white cinematography also is good, actually VERY good. The photography, and the 1920s expressions (the era here with this story) on Gibson Frazier's face, are the best things about this film.

The worst things is almost-nothing story and too much profanity in the last 20 minutes by the hoods. The latter is overdone and left this reviewer with a bad taste in his mouth about the film in general although the very ending features a "cute" musical tune. Actually, the music is good in here all the way through. As you can gather, this is an odd film.....but definitely work a look if you are seeking something a bit different.

A New Cult Classic

[artzau · 9/10 · 13 August 2002]

I chanced to see this on a Blockbuster shelf and in the dearth of anything else worth seeing, decided to take a chance. How glad I am! This is the funniest movie I've seen in years. In spite of being the original tightwad, I've ordered the DVD and have even sent one to my son whose humor runs in the same crooked gully as mine. The gimmick of a living anachronism is a powerful one indeed but to someone like myself who was raised on reporter movies of the 20s, who saw Cagney, Raft and Powell play these kinds of roles, using the same slang and expressions, now so out of date, I literally howled with delight. The acting is wonderful. As one reviewer here noted, everyone seemed to be having a delightful time. The film is just great, from the scratchy opening credits to the final scenes. Also, if you get the DVD, be sure and check out the reference section and scene set-up after the film is over. They are just delightful. Plot? What plot? The story is an eternal one: Virtuous young man in the face of chaos struggles to maintain the fabric of order in a basically disorderly universe while falling in love and being too virtuously shy to declare his feelings to the girl he loves, beating up bad guys and defending the honor of helpless young women and, revealing to the world the archvillain at the root of the evil in the empire. And, he does it all without getting dirty, mussed or messed up and losing sight of his goal. Wow. Get this. See it. Share it. It's just too damn good to miss. You'll be glad you did, kiddo.

This is the 'darndest' film - B/W, musical segments, quick wits, playfully enjoyable.

[ruby_fff · 7/10 · 24 January 2003]

What a delightful film - I finally got to see "Man of the Century" on Cable IFC and simply tickled by Gibson Frazier's portrayal of Johnny. Oh yes, he's 'dead on'. He co-wrote the screenplay with director Adam Abraham and it's only natural he played the lead role Johnny Twennies. "Man of the Century" 1999 is Abraham and Frazier's debut feature film. It is in black and white - what a stroke of genius of a decision. The prologue is a brief segment shot like a silent film - I just watched with bemusement. I like it already. Worry not, once Johnny opens his mouth, he couldn't stop! He'd even break into songs as the occasion arises.

Johnny is a newspaper man in New York City in the 90's with a mindset of the 20's era - he walks, talks, interacts, reacts as if he's in the (roaring) '20s, immersed in songs of Irvin Berlin, Gershwin and Gershwin. There is action alright - threatening gangsters, romantic assumptions, comedy of errors… Of course all's well that ends well like everything 20's, but how? Check out the film! It's a breezy enjoyable 77 mins.

Abraham and Frazier are also the film's producers and music producers, with many a-family members and friends included as part of the crew. Soundtrack contains: Look for the Silver Lining (Kern and DeSylva), Diga Diga Do (McHugh and Fields), Dancing in the Dark (Schwartz and Dietz), You were meant for me (Brown and Freed). The supporting cast is just as wonderfully talented: Cara Buono as Virginia, Susan Egan as Samantha, Anthony Rapp as Timmy. Noticed Bobby Short is in there along with jazzy swinging tunes. Ann Jackson is Madam Du Froid, Johnny's Mom.

If you like director and choreographer Rob Marshall's musical "Chicago" (with Zellweger, Gere, Zeta Jones, Reilly, Latifah), also give "Man of the Century" a chance. Smaller budget (shot in 23-days in NYC), but an endearing and thoroughly entertaining film! "Believe you me, it's quite the berries!"

You won't regret watching it

[ctsteele-1 · 9/10 · 18 December 2007]

Just want to get one point across: Watching this movie won't be one of those experiences were you waste a couple hours of your time, and come away with nothing for it.

Some of the posters have brought up that the movie may have some improbable quirks, etc. The beauty of this movie is that is original and entertaining. Its not deep, exciting, or pompous; but its funny and completely different than the formulaic junk being churned out right now.

If you do watch it, you'll feel you have to at least tell someone about it. That's also unusual.

This ain't no Bannana Oil, baby.

[jediharr · 7/10 · 7 November 1999]

I recently saw this movie in at a "Indie-film Theater" that only showed 3 movies, "The Limey", "Princess Mononoke"(Saw it, loved it!), and "Man of the Century". Since I had already seen "Mononoke", I decided to see what Harry Knowles called "Perfect". I sat through it with only 3 other people besides me in the theater. I liked it! I don't know yet if I loved it, but I definetely liked it alot. It was a cheery, happy, and witty film. There wasn't a moment when I wasn't smiling in this film. It was very good.

I highly reccomend it for a smile time.

Missed opportunity...

[Zoopansick · 5/10 · 17 June 2004]

Ok first things first. The audio commentary (well the twenty minutes or so of it) is some of the best and most original commentary I have ever heard. That alone made the price of the rental worth it. The movie too has an original idea but I think it ultimately fails to live up to its own premise. The basic idea behind the movie is that there is a guy who acts like he is in movie from the twenties living in 1990s New York. The characters around him though for a large part accept him and think very little of the way he is. Only a few times do the characters actually react in a realistic way to him, like when Samantha kicks him out of the apartment. However, on the whole the characters are just as weird in him (in their own quirky ways) and never play the straight and cyncial role they are meant to. The movie gets way too goofy and would have been much funnier if people had been more "normal". Take for example the scene where he is drinking tea with the Riddler's heavy. Instead of having a scene between a weird character (Johnny 20s) and a straight and unamused character (the big guy); you get the bodyguard (or whatever the hell is job is) starting to recite Shakespeare and acting bizarre in his own right. It throws off the balance and instead of having a guy from the 20s dealing with 90s society you got a movie about a bunch of weird characters thrown together and a bunch of stupid situations. Now some of you may disagree and think the basic premise of the movie is maintained, but really where's the comedic contrast when you sit Johhny 20s across from a character who is just as strange as him? This could have been better.



Zoopansick

Banana Oil!

[Quicksand · 9/10 · 12 May 2004]

Caught this on cable quite by accident-- the idea behind it seemed really cute, and I decided to give it 10 minutes, to at least see how long it took for the filmmakers to screw it up.

Surprisingly, it held my attention for the entire film. The gimmick never got old; just when it seemed in danger of doing so, something new would happen to keep it fresh. A new character here, a plot twist there. Good, thoughtful filmmaking... and I really dug the 1920's slang. I wish I could remember more of it. Why DID we stop talking like this, anyway?

Good acting, some clever writing and a smartly-plotted story. The ending was a little cheesy, I thought, as I wanted to know the fates of the characters beyond the newspaper-story driven plot. But considering the source material, it really ended the only way it could have. So it's an amusing distraction for 90 minutes or so. And kind of educational, too. Banana Oil!

A 20's movie shown in modern context....or vice versa

[Doomster · 6/10 · 7 February 2003]

If you want to get a feel of some of the differences between today and the 1920s, this film is for you. The level of detail is good, so much so that you wonder if this film isn't just an exercise to show how much research was done on the '20s by Adam Abraham, writer and director. His details are sometimes amazing, sometimes amusing - he points out differences in phone numbers, auto ownership (most people in the '20s didn't own cars), dress, slang (what we now label "pigs" was called a "flatfoot" back in the 20's), vocabulary, mannerisms, and the role of the subservient Negro, which transformed from a wise but reserved councillor for the main white male protagonist to an expressive sidekick for the main white female character.

But the depictions and details of the '20s life loses steam about halfway thru the movie and then relies on cultural stereotypes we have of the '20's. The actor playing the main character, Johnny Twennies, really went thru extraordinary effort to mimic the vocabulary, slangs, diction, and body language depicted in films from the 20's but it gets tiresome, as if the script "over-does" his part.

The best part of the movie is how Adam shows the inception of modern cinematic techniques by executing them in the 20's style. It's somewhat of a homage to film history but it looks like Abraham tried to show ALL the cinematic techniques, slowing the pace down.

If you try to watch this movie as another regular movie, you won't like it. The plot is a crude caricature of a standard drama movie of the '20's and thus, it feels very simplistic to most of today's cinema audience. Instead, the amusing part of it is noticing the difference in slang, in customs, in social behaviors, and other subtle facets of life between the 1920's and the current time. And again, Abraham does a good job of covering almost every difference, from society's attitudes towards smoking, society's dominant view on homosexuality, the gender roles in the game of seduction, and even how it was much easier to hail a cab in New York in the 20's than it is today.

Uneven at best.

[maeander · 3/10 · 25 August 2002]

The concept of this film is great. The execution given the obviously small budget is adequate. The script is a disappointment. The acting is simply terrible. No matter how you look at it; Gibson Frazier, the star, is horrible. His one-note caricature gets old very quickly. At 77 minutes including musical numbers, you'll be looking at your watch long before the end credits come up.

Laughed so hard...

[JPauloDesigns · 10/10 · 28 January 2006]

This movie is nothing like I expected. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. The acting of Gibson Frazier is wonderful. It was as if they picked him up right out of the 20s and dropped him modern day times. It really shows the difference of then and now. I loved all the references to the 20s and dialogue. If you don't really know a lot about the 20s, or films from that time, you won't get a lot of the humor. There is simple humor, such as the "one lump or two" bit or the way he holds the gun when you takes it from the "henchmen". There is also some racial humor in it as well. Not bad I'd say, but funny. The plot you can see unfold rather quick. But that's how most movies from that time took place. Well, I take that back, at the least the majority of movies I've seen from the past usually don't take a lot of thinking to figure out. Overall, I'd recommend this movie to anyone, young or old. If anything, just watch it for his rants in 1920s dialogue. Simply brilliant!

A Unique Experience: An Old-movie-lovers Movie

[jeanie-5 · 4 October 1999]

"Man of the Century" is inspired by silent comedies, early talking movies, vaudeville, and old RKO films.

It gives us a light-hearted look at the different ways in which cultural mores are portrayed in the 1920's and in the 1990's. The opening sequence has the look of the earliest films -- complete with scratches and grainy images and the jerkiness of old home movies. The rest of the film is in high-quality black and white with fine camera work. The film is co-written by Adam Abraham (who also directs) and Gibson Frazier (who stars in the title role as Johnny Twennies).

Johnny Twennies writes a column for a New York newspaper. The time is the 1990's, but Johnny is clearly living in the 1920's. We hear 1920's cliches from him and 1990's cliches from others. Johnny's tenacious innocence is refreshing and quite funny beside Samantha Winter's (Susan Egan) modern day social values. It is funny to hear Johnny swear with words like Applesauce! and Rats! while also hearing the ubiquitous use of f___ing by the others on

screen. The "endless stairs" is a brilliant sequence that breaks up the fast-talking dialogue. Since I love to dance, I was particularly overjoyed with a dance number with Johnny and Samantha dancing the Charlston while the others who are clearly older were dancing the jitterbug and swing and other more modern dances. Johnny's dance partner / leading lady is played impeccably by Susan Egan.

The film is face-paced. I know that I missed many of the innuendos and jokes. I love old movies, but I am not a student of those films or times. I found much pleasure in the experience even though I missed the significance of many one-liners. I also found that I had to adjust to the initial few minutes, first wondering if I was going to have to sit through 80 minutes of scratched film and then wondering what year it was because of the juxtaposition of modern cars and archaic language. About six persons left the audience in a group of about 100-120 individuals who were in an advance screening of the movie. Most of those who stayed were thoroughly engrossed in the film and applauded at the end.

It is similar in many ways to the "Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Pleasantville" in that it carries the charm of someone out of the current time or environment, frozen in another time and culture. Gestures, language, and tempo can be best compared to early films as a whole rather than to a specific film.

"Man of the Century" won the audience award at the 1999 Slamdance Film Festival. If the team of Abraham and Frazier can create another film of comparable quality in a different genre, they will make an enormous contribution to film making.

Fantastic stuff! - 7 of 10

[deadsenator · 7/10 · 18 August 2002]

This film, shot in black and white, takes you back to the films of yesteryear. Johnny is an island of innocence in a modern sea of debauchery. Undaunted and unflinching, Johnny captures the bad guy and gets the girl. I could almost say that's a spoiler, but the nature of this film makes it quite enjoyable no matter if you know the ending or not! Fun and frivolous, this film deserves your attention. I caught it quite by chance on IFC and am happier for it. Don't miss it, this is good stuff.

Great idea, great fun, wonderfully acted

[bobjm · 9/10 · 9 February 2000]

A newspaperman (Johnny Twennies) living in the 90's with a complete 20's personality and lifestyle - fedora, manual typewriter, the Charleston, the works. It's a great idea for a movie and it couldn't have been done better.

Johnny doesn't miss a cliche, but never uses the same one twice. You'll find yourself anticipating his reactions to the harsher '90s world as the movie goes along, you'll often guess right - but that makes the movie just that much more fun.

Lots of fun when Johnny is called on to save the same damsel in distress (named Virginia, natch) on three different occasions. She responds with appropriate fluttering eyelids each time.

His reaction to independent women, openly gay men, and the general '90s milieu is delightful. He remains happily oblivious.

Don't worry, the movie never takes itself seriously. Nobody preaches about the evil of the present, or the shallowness of the past. You end up with a warm feeling for all the characters, even the bad guys. This was one of those rare movies where you can actually feel that the performers are thoroughly enjoying their characters. The film makers make sure you know that with a delightfully offbeat ending.

Good for You and One-Thirty

[oscarhopkins · 7/10 · 2 October 2005]

Before extolling on the virtues and mixed offerings of Man of the Century, I must make a confession: I will watch ANYTHING to see Susan Egan.

With that much said, I must admit that I was surprised, given the concept, at how entertaining this movie was. The opening of the film is probably its best feature, with a very clever "silent film" feel which I was sad to see not continued at points through the flick. Also, it must be admitted that the "musical numbers" come out of nowhere and are a little embarrassing. I was charmed to the hilt by the acting of Gibson Frazier (and, of course.....Susan), and the twenties-speak is phenomenal. I had to try it on many people before I lost my nerve, with some rather hilarious results.

But the ending does sneak up on one rather fast and the pieces of the puzzle are too simple, but this is a 20's film parody, after all. Also there is a preoccupation in the dialogue with unnecessary cuss words. I'm not one to be offended by language, but this was really a defeating level of linguistic gravity in otherwise fun situations.

In all, Man of the Century was a fun and frank commentary on post-modernity, which needed a little more crafting to appeal to mainstream viewers. But then, this could never have been a popular film. The world is too fragile to take criticism these days.

Classic modern day farce

[arlierayjr · 10/10 · 23 March 2005]

This is a great farcical, modern day story. When watching this film I was reminded of the Marx Brothers, some of the early Crosby and Hope films and of course film noir. It also has some of the elements of stage drama a la Moliere. The main character, Johnny Twennies, is indeed the hero and is uniquely performed by Gibson Frazier in a throwback to Bogart,Jimmy Stewart and a dash of Groucho Marx.That is the only way to describe this unusual character.The music in the film is great and is reminiscent of some of Woody Allens films.They are from the jazz age and are legitimized by the appearances Lester Lanin and Bobby Short. Bobby Short is sadly no longer with us having passed away just recently, but performs at the end of this film in its final scene.Mr.Short has a bit role in the film but is worth seeing. I saw this film in 2001 on cable but did not catch the title at the time. Last year a friend remarked that he had seen a weird and quirky film with a character named Johnny Twennies and knew the title. I had to have the film and rented it several times. Yesterday, after hearing of Bobby Short's death, I wandered into a local video/music store and perused the DVDs and there it was, up front and I purchased it. If you need to see something that is truly unique, albeit with 'classic' elements telling and showing the story, Man of the Century is it.

The best young Woody Allen movie he never made.

[bearealman · 7/10 · 18 March 2014]

I'm not an aficionado of old b&w movies. But I guess I've seen enough of them to get Man of the Century's continuous stream of aged references and older jokes. So this movie reminds me (this will take a stretch of the imagination for some) of 2007's Hot Fuzz (my favorite film that year). Man of the Century resembles it by providing a continuous run of homage moments to previous bits of pop culture, sewn together imaginatively, giving the viewer a constant stream of little thrills at recognizing some of what's being honored.

It's not as seamless as Hot Fuzz -- for one, main character Johnny Twennie's love-interest's suspicions and confusions about him are too easily discarded at the end, even for a film indulging in stereotypical behaviors of characters in 30s and 40s films. (I suspect some dialog was cut.) But if you enter the world of the film on its own terms (instead of wanting it to be the film of one's expectations, like so many viewers (and reviewers) have done) then it pays off in spades.

I guess I've seen enough rapid-fire dialog romantic comedies of the mid-twentieth century to fall in love with the style, and this movie fulfills my need for more of it in many spots. About 15 minutes in, when a character refers to Johnny Twennie with "Here comes Zeppo," I instantly accepted the gift the filmmakers had given me, relating him to the 4th Marx Brother, dropped from their films after their earliest ones. The little touches of film history, from an almost Chaplinesque beginning to the detective or suspense film double exposure, impressed me. The integration of stock characters: the eccentric society mother, the black washroom attendant, the waifish young ingenue, the older Italian romantic, even the Chinese opium den (!) were rendered so that this often political-correctness-sensitive reviewer was unoffended. And their characters get contrasted with contemporary stock characters -- the independent young working woman with the incredible job, the kinky guy with the smooth exterior, the corrupt pol, the buffoonish foulmouthed gangsters -- that other than the lead, interestingly the older-stereotype stock characters come out being far less sympathetic than the contemporary ones.

The musical numbers function more as interludes than in the Broadway musical sense, but each is a veritable chestnut, each one undeniably enjoyable by this modern rock loving reviewer.

And the cast! Co-author / co-producer Gibson Frazier was clearly having the time of his life playing Johnny Twennie despite shouldering what were probably substantial indie filmmaker responsibilities. Plus: Anthony Rapp! Gary Beach! Bobby Short! Frank Effin' Gorshin fer gawrsh-sakes! And a few character actors I must admit I'm not experienced enough to claim to have recognized by name, but who I'm sure I've seen act on screen at least a dozen times before.

I won't belabor the points of contention I have some reviewers - what I've written above should make them clear. But, compared with the modern crap some reviewer shill for - worth little ultimately at best than a pleasant diversion if you leave your good personal standards behind and expend energy turning off one's uneasiness at every annoying trend-hopping moment - Man of the Century is a relative masterpiece. A delightful film, especially the second time around.

In conclusion, my one line review: "Man of the Century" is the best young Woody Allen movie he never made.

Credibility gap

[marcslope · 5/10 · 8 September 2003]

It's a good-looking and whimsical New York comedy about a 1920s guy in a 1990s world, and it's bolstered by handsome black-and-white cinematography and an attractive cast of local talent, including some fresh up-and-coming Broadway performers. Just one problem: The premise is ludicrous. How this man could exist for one hour in modern Manhattan, let alone day in and day out, how he reconciles the wild contradictions between his subjective viewpoint and cold hard reality, what he lives on, why his mother is in a similar time warp, how he could charm a contemporary woman -- none of it's explained. And to just say, "well, that's the premise" won't do. Even farce needs internal logic. This one tries to float on nothing but atmosphere, and it's a victim of its own well-meaning but hopelessly irrational whimsy.

MAN OF THE CENTURY's A Loopy Charmer, and That's No Banana Oil!

[dtb · 9/10 · 1 October 2008]

Filmed in glorious black and white, MAN OF THE CENTURY (MotC) is a funny, charming spoof of and tribute to the films of the 1920s and '30s, in which our Roaring Twenties hero, good-natured joe Johnny Twennies (stage actor Gibson Frazier in a chipper, endearing performance. He also co-wrote and co-produced this daft little gem with Adam Abraham) just happens to be living in late 1990s Manhattan. Zany fish-out-of-water hijinks, adventures (Johnny's a newspaper reporter covering a hot crime-and-corruption story, don'cha know), and snappy musical numbers ensue. MotC is a short one-joke movie (a little under 80 minutes), but the joke is put across delightfully, often reminding me of early Woody Allen movies (including the style of the end credits). The darndest people turn up in the cast, too, such as Frank Gorshin, Anne Jackson (billed as Madame du Froid, for some reason), PRODUCERS Tony-winner Gary Beach, Susan Egan (our household has loved Egan and her brightly sultry voice since we heard her cartoon voice work in Disney's HERCULES, among others), bandleader Lester Lanin, and Bobby Short, the swankiest saloon singer The Big Apple ever saw (yes, he's involved in at least one of the musical numbers :-)). There's even a sequence paying homage to the Expressionism style of film-making. I've seen MotC on the IFC Channel, but it's also available from Netflix, so I highly recommend you renting or even buying it. This flicker's tops, and that's no banana oil! :-)

Truly an Awful Movie

[lost_at_lost_mountain · 1/10 · 16 September 2002]

The concept may be clever, but the resulting film was just plain stupid. Picture your local high school drama class's latest project made into a movie, and you'd get something on about the same level.

Flappers take note: It's the bee's knees!

[Matrixrefugee77 · 9/10 · 17 May 2003]

I spotted the DVD version of this film on the shelf of a local Blockbuster video recently, and being partial to both borderline fantasy flicks and Jazz-Age period films ("Road to Perdition" and "Chicago"), I rented it, utterly on a whim.

And what a whim! Granted, the script is a little thin, but if you can watch this with an open mind and heart (and especially if you're a fan of old movies), you will find yourself pleased and delighted. This is at one in the same time a gleeful homage to the silent films and early talkies of the 1920s and '30s and a gentle satire of modern life. Gibson Frazier as the hero, glib but honest New York newspaperman Johnny Twennies, deftly revitalizes the all-but forgotten Jazz-Age cinematic stock character 'the heroic reporter', bringing charm and joy to the bleakness of the 1990s which he finds himself thrust into. Like the chronologically stranded 19th century hero of "Kate and Leopold", he manages to manuever the hazards of modern life, always coming out on top: saving the day, chivalrously helping damsels in distress, and, true to the Jazz-Age convention, belting out a few period tunes along the way.

A strand of a plot exists, but the film is basically an 80 minute character sketch. Set aside any expectation of any major epiphanies...but there again, one can consider Johnny as the "noble savage" in reverse. Almost everyone around him is seen as crabby and foul-mouthed, whereas Johnny is perpetually cheerful, resorting to colorful 1920s slang instead of cussing the air blue, and using his keen wits rather than his fists to get out of a dangerous situation. Anyone disillusioned with the crassness of violent, untidy, monosyllabic movie heroes will find this live wire in a three-piece suit and fedora a welcome breath of fresh air. Ladies, take note: If you're looking for a guy who's a gentle man as well as a gentleman, once you've watched this film, you'll find yourself wishing you could find your own "Man of the Century".