A Fish Called Wanda: The Screenplay
“ Wanda defies gravity, in both senses of the word, and redefines a great comic tradition.” – Time
Boy, they just don't write 'em like they used to: John Cleese's watertight comic caper is presented here in stage-play format, and it's a masterclass in economic screenwriting -- perfect plotting, sharp dialogue, and confidently suggestive stage description (Cleese does not attempt to "direct from the page"). And it's a tribute to all the actors that it's nearly impossible to read the dialogue without hearing their idiosyncratic deliveries in your mind's ear; they helped take a strong script and make it an unforgettable movie.
A Fish Called Wanda is a bittersweet reminder of the bygone days when movies put a premium on writing, direction, and performance, not special FX and Easter eggs and franchise fan service. Before amorphous, meaningless crap like Game of Thrones became the culturally accepted benchmark of quality screenwriting, this is what disciplined storytelling looked like. More, please.
