They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants is now better known for giving the name to a quirky pop group rather a quirky cult film in its own right. Although the title is derived from Cervantes novel Don Quixote.

The films is an adaptation of the stage play where George C Scott plays a brilliant jurists who after the death of his wife thinks he is Sherlock Holmes.

His brother tries to have him committed so he can receive his money. The psychiatrist who is to evaluate him is called Dr Mildred Watson (Joanne Woodward) in order to understand his condition more ends up enlisting in his adventures to venture down the streets of New York to find Moriarty.

Dr Watson is sceptical at first and knows the condition he is suffering from, standard textbook stuff really. However Dr Watson a middle aged spinster has issues of her own and is drawn to the former judge and the director pulls off a remarkable trick where at a point in the film the sceptic becomes a convert. Both fall for each other and pursue Moriarty with zeal.

The film deals with mental illness and some themes in this film were pursued two decades later by Terry Gilliam in the movie The Fisher King, a director who has long pursued to make his own version of Don Quixote.

This is a small scale actors film. Both Scott and Woodward give terrific performances with a strong support cast. It does have it flaws, maybe the brother needed to be drawn stronger as a villain and it might just get a bit to silly at the end. The climax is rather frustrating as they think Moriarty is approaching.