Harry and Tonto

One tends to compare this with the much more famous and newer film About Schmidt, at least on a thematic level. This comparison is all the more interesting because it illustrates well how the popularity of a certain film actually arises. Harry and Tonto is a film that has been reviewed by very few film fans to this day, whereas the film About Schmidt, thanks to Jack Nicholson in the lead role, has attracted several thousand reviews. Audiences probably had a different idea of entertainment than what Alexander Payne offered them in the form of concentrated depression and the hopelessness of a bitter aging man. Only a fraction of the audience saw Harry and Tonto, but it is a much more targeted audience, and this film is much more positive. It is a pleasant relationship film that despite minor inconveniences cannot end badly. It is decently cast, you laugh a few times and walk away feeling good. That is why, paradoxically, Mazurský's film has higher ratings, even though I think the actual values of the films should be the opposite. For the first 20 minutes, I would give Harry and Tonto two stars, but particularly at the moment when Harry sets off on a journey and the story turns into a classic road movie, the film becomes more interesting. Americans simply know this genre. The camera utilizes all the possibilities offered by the wild yet picturesque American landscape, and our hero experiences several interesting encounters. That's when I started thinking about giving it four stars, but that incredibly optimistic ending kills everything. So all in all, I give it  3 stars and a 60% overall impression. Harry and Tonto basically shows us everything that should be present in films about old age, i.e., the awareness that I am no longer what I used to be, the neighborhood where I live is no longer the same as I remember from my youth, and the strangest thing happened to my friends - they are dead. However, About Schmidt was a film that relied on having a star with a huge dose of charisma in the lead role, and Nicholson did an amazing job. With all due respect, Art Carney is not even half as good, although he ironically received an Oscar for this role. I was also bothered by the overly sentimental music. I consider About Schmidt to be a more truthful depiction of life. (10/21/2009)