Jamie Lee Curtis Is Everyone’s Crush In This Streaming Comedy That Keeps You Guessing
Though you can most recently see Jamie Lee Curtis flexing her dramatic muscle in Hulu’s The Bear, it’s worth noting that she’s not without comedic chops. We’re not here to talk about the Freaky Friday franchise, however, but rather 1988’s A Fish Called Wanda, which can be streamed on Paramount+ right now. This heist comedy film doesn’t take itself too seriously, but critics universally agree that A Fish Called Wanda is one of her best films to date.
The source of comedy in A Fish Named Wanda comes in the form of Wanda’s duplicitous nature, and her willingness to betray everybody so she could run off with the fortune herself.
A Fish Called Wanda is centered on a diamond heist orchestrated by a London-based gangster named George Thomason (Tom Georgeson), and his right hand man Ken Pile (Michael Palin), who is an animal lover with a stutter. Jamie Lee Curtis takes on the role of Wanda Gershwitz, an American con artist, who is accompanied by Otto West (Kevin Kline), her lover, who she pretends is his brother, so both George and Ken think she’s available on the romantic front.
The source of comedy in A Fish Named Wanda comes in the form of Wanda’s duplicitous nature, and her willingness to betray everybody so she could run off with the fortune herself.
Immediately after a successful heist in the first act, Jamie Lee Curtis’ Wanda, with the help of Otto, successfully orchestrate a plot to get George arrested. But when Wanda and Otto return to retrieve the hidden stash, they learn that George is one step ahead of them, and has already moved he jewels to a safe deposit box, having given Ken the key. But when Wanda finds the key in Ken’s fish tank, she retrieves it, and hides it inside her locket.
Jamie Lee Curtis’ charisma alone can carry the entire film, but the rest of the cast knew the assignment, which makes for some excellent chemistry and comedic timing.
Now armed with the key to the safe deposit box, her good looks, and her charm, Wanda’s next step is to seduce George’s lawyer, Archie Leach (John Cleese), with the intention of figuring out the whereabouts of the safe deposit box, and the jewels inside.
From this point forward, we experience what can only be described as a bunch of bumbling con artists trying to bamboozle each other, with disastrously hilarious results (losing the locket, for example). Jamie Lee Curtis’ charisma alone can carry the entire film, but the rest of the cast knew the assignment, which makes for some excellent chemistry and comedic timing.
In an attempt to kill an elderly key witness, Ken, who loves animals, inadvertently kills her dogs in the process. Otto, who also wants to know the location of the safe deposit box, eats Kens pet goldfish (the last fish also being named Wanda) one by one until he gives up the information.
This Jamie Lee Curtis starring film boasts an intimidating 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the prevailing sentiment is that the ensemble cast, as well as the clever writing make this movie a must-see.
But what truly makes A Fish Called Wanda a superior comedy of errors is everybody’s romantic interest in Jamie Lee Curtis, who has every intention of double-crossing everybody involved so she could keep all of the diamonds for herself.
Though the above mentioned plot, and subsequent mishaps are key plot points in the movie that are hilarious in their own right, it’s the granular details between the beats that will keep you engaged. The Jamie Lee Curtis led all-star cast knew what they were doing while producing a film centered on a heist gone terribly wrong. The levels of deception, betrayal, and romantic conquest make for a comedy that any audience would enjoy.
And the critics wholeheartedly agree. This Jamie Lee Curtis starring film boasts an intimidating 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the prevailing sentiment is that the ensemble cast, as well as the clever writing make this movie a must-see. Commercially speaking, A Fish Called Wanda raked in an impressive $188.6 million against a budget of $7.5 million.
At this point in time, we’ve all seen too many heist movies to count. But what sets this Jamie Lee Curtis movie apart from other heist movies is its inherent through line of silliness, while still having a lot of heart. In other words, A Fish Called Wanda doesn’t solely rely on gags, but rather boasts a level of intellect that still has wide appeal without ever coming off as patronizing.
To tread the line between slap-stick comedy with braininess is no easy feat. But director Charles Crichton turned this John Cleese written screenplay into a comedic masterpiece that was not only one of the best comedies of the 80s, but one that still holds up to this day. If you want to have a heck of a time rooting for the bad guys, then watching this Jamie Lee Curtis film on Paramount+ comes with strong recommendation.
