Catch-22

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Catch-22

I don't think even Orson Welles could match the brilliance of Heller's novel, but Mike Nichols made a wonderful film with mostly a top-notch cast. Alan Arkin is perfect as Yossarian. He is justified paranoia incarnate! Anthony Perkins embodies Chaplain Tappman as no would could and Jon Voight oozes the shallow charm of Minderbinder. The opening is incredible from the cinematography by David Watkins to the sound quality. In a book of this scope, you simply cannot include all of the incredible characters, but M.A.S.H. came out earlier in the year and stole the thunder from all anti-war films, comedy or not. This film didn't receive a single Oscar nomination, even for acting, in a tough competitive year, but come on! This is a 9 out of 10.

Brilliant, quirky, unpredictable amusement. Thought provoking, shocking and hilarious. A stellar cast carries the tone from serious to lunacy with astounding grace. Cult Classic. Not for everyone. Possibly for fans of: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Where the Buffalo Roam, Fargo, Trainspotting, Drugstore Cowboy, Bonnie and Clyde, Blue Velvet, Man Bites Dog, Kicking and Screaming.

Tackling Joseph Heller's celebrated bestseller about WWII insanity must have seemed a monumental task, and director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Buck Henry (reunited from 1967's "The Graduate") should be commended for trying at all, yet the results of this adaptation are bungled, especially when you consider another satire of war, Robert Altman's "MASH", was released the very same year (and probably stole much of this movie's thunder). There are some isolated moments of irony and insight, but Nichols' penchant for capturing the beauty of lunacy collides here with clunky vaudeville skits, surreal bits and incredibly noisy action. The cast includes Alan Arkin, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Orson Welles, Anthony Perkins and Jon Voight, but none are shown to any bright advantage. *1/2 from ****

The ever talented Alan Arkin strikes again. "Catch-22" ranks among his all time best films. It's a hilarious dark satire about an American World War II soldier (Arkin) who hopes to escape from the pressures and insanities of the combat front lines. He devises a scheme to have himself grounded as crazy so he can leave the war. However, his plan may backfire due to the so called "catch-22" law. Arkin gives a hilarious performance as the harried soldier and he is supported by a huge all star supporting cast who all turn in equally good performances.

Despite it's 42 years since initial release, still one of the best films ever made and directed about the insanity of 'creating' war - and the mindlessness and trauma suffered from its consequences of both those conscripted to engage in it and neither more nor less than the civilian victims of it's long-time aftermaths. Warfare's far-reaching ramifications touch us, individually and globally, even into the 21st Century and beyond. Being philosophically cogent of war's deep-seated egoistic, bizarre and greedy nature of those who foment it may not get you a Pulitzer, but perhaps you may garner a 'Catch 22' medal from those of us who've managed to live through them. Mike Nichols et al, within this film, remind us of war's senselessness and of it's bitter and long-effected remains. Superb, finely crafted, and in my sense, a must-see for 2nd and 3rd generation adults.

My father was stationed on an island off Borneo during WWII from which air raids by American bombers supported by Aussie and American fighters were launched against enemy held islands. When I watched "Catch 22" with him, I expected he would be confused and slightly offended by the film's treatment of war. To my surprise, dad said that the film's depiction of war and those who fight them was not so exaggerated as one may think. The brass who send the men out on missions of no strategic importance to raise their own profile, the wheeler dealers, the earnest and ineffectual chaplains and all manner of crazies mixed with men whose only desire is to survive. My father also said that the mixture of comedy, drama, satire and surrealism reflected the strange dream of warfare very well. For my part, I can watch this film once a week for the rest of my life.