Bye Bye Braverman (1968)
3.0 of 5 from 46 ratings
1h 34min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Serpico. Dog Day Afternoon. Prince of the City. In these gritty and distinguished films, director Sidney Lumet held a mirror up to his adopted hometown, New York. In 'Bye Bye Braverman', he uses a funhouse mirror. The result is hilarious, satiric, wise, giddy - and no less trenchant. Sparked by a blue-ribbon cast, the film follows four Jewish intellectuals jammed into one Volkswagen and squabbling nonstop en route to the funeral of their friend Leslie Braverman. What happens on the way (a fender bender with a Yiddish-spouting African-American cabbie, a stop at the wrong funeral) forms the plot, but the kvetching, joking, fuming and ultimately fearful quartet forms the heart of this smart, sardonic comedy. - Actors:
- George Segal, Jack Warden, Joseph Wiseman, Sorrell Booke, Jessica Walter, Phyllis Newman, Zohra Lampert, Godfrey Cambridge, Alan King, Anthony Holland, Graham Jarvis, Peter Gumeny, Susan Wyler, Leib Lensky, Martin Abrahams, Michel Loutchaninoff, Ira Waldinger
- Directors:
- Sidney Lumet
- Producers:
- Sidney Lumet
- Writers:
- Wallace Markfield, Herbert Sargent
- Genres:
- Comedy, Drama
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Reviews (1) of Bye Bye Braverman
A Curio - Bye Bye Braverman review by griggs
Sidney Lumet's Bye Bye Braverman is an odd mix—part road trip, part existential crisis, part satire. The setup sounds great on paper: four neurotic Jewish intellectuals set out for a friend's funeral, only to get lost in their own neuroses. There are funny moments and sharp dialogue, but the film never quite clicks. As always, Lumet makes New York look stunning, yet the film feels oddly sluggish. The comedy feels hesitant, relying too much on exaggerated caricatures, and the punchlines rarely land. You end up laughing at the characters' failings rather than with them. More a curio than a hidden gem—though Lumet fans may still find it worthwhile. Whilst I did enjoy it, it is ultimately, a missed opportunity.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.