Until recently, inflation was a thing of the past for young generations in the West, a concept as abstract as world war. In 1970s America, however, it was quite a different matter. Inflation was a reality so palpable and overwhelming that it found a way to serve as an element of plot in Hollywood films, even comedies. One of those was The In-Laws, a 1979 film directed by Arthur Hiller.
The protagonist is Sheldon Kornpett (played by Alan Arkin), a dentist who has a successful practice in Manhattan and whose daughter Barbara (played by Penny Peyser) is just about to marry Tommy Ricardo (played by Michael Lembeck). Sheldon is introduced to Tommy’s father Vince (played by Peter Falk), a businessman whose bizarre and not particularly convincing tales about what he does for a living make Sheldon suspicious to the point that he contemplates calling off the wedding. He nevertheless agrees to run a small errand for Vince, which leads to some unpleasant people chasing and shooting at him on the streets of New York. Vince rescues him and explains that he actually works for the CIA, and that he had stolen engraving plates from the US Mint. Those plates are sought by a group of indebted Latin Americans who want to print US dollars in order to pay off debts, which would lead to catastrophic inflation in the USA and the rest of the world. Despite not wanting to have anything to do with Vince, Sheldon ultimately joins him on a trip to the Latin American island of Tijada.
The In-Laws is one of the more successful films of its time, both among critics and at the box office. It won over critics by pandering to the left-wing and anti-establishment sentiments that were prevalent in the 1970s, best seen in its mocking of the CIA as an organisation full of malevolent, corrupt or simply crazy people, while doing the same to tinpot right-wing dictators that were at the time running most of Latin America with the US government’s blessing. The ordinary audience, unburdened by complicated politics, was brought to the theatres by the presence of Peter Falk, a comic actor who, thanks to Columbo, enjoyed the zenith of his popularity. Falk plays his role very well and there is an excellent “buddy buddy” dynamic between his and Alan Arkin’s characters. Falk plays the crazy part of the duo, but does it with a deadpan delivery, while Arkin, who plays the straight man, often becomes hysterical.
Many critics praised Andrew Bergman, a screenwriter best known for his work with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles, for his work. However, it is his script that is the weakest element of the film. While there are some jokes that are funny, and Falk and Arkin often make funny those that are otherwise not, too often there is simply not enough humour in the film. Director Arthur Hiller, best known for his work on Love Story, at times tries to fill the blanks with action, but those scenes are uninspiring and make The In-Laws look cheap. Another important issue is the pacing. It takes some time for the film to catch the proper rhythm and it happens too late, when the character of the half-crazed General Garcia, played by a very inspired Richard Libertini, is introduced. Today’s audience would have many difficulties understanding the film with its references to 1950s coups in Central America and the JFK presidency. It is a disappointing film, but it looks much better than its 2003 remake starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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