The Last of Sheila (1973)

"Give me a glass of water and a couple of lesbians.", 13 July 2006

A week ago, I had never heard of The Last of Sheila. Now I consider it one of my all time favorite movies. Going through a plot as twisted and intricate as this one seems impossible without giving away too much. Part of the fun I had with it came from knowing next to nothing about the plot before I sat down to give it a watch. I'll just say that The Last of Sheila is an ingenious mystery with a wicked sense of dark humor. Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim (an unlikely pair of writers if you ask me) are responsible for the intelligent, witty screenplay. Mysteries can be difficult to write. Most either make the killer too obvious or hold back vital clues until the final reveal. That's not the case with this cleverly written screenplay. Other than a few insignificant plot holes, everything fits nicely into place by the film's end. Most everything you need to solve the puzzle is out in the open, if you can spot it. It's very well done.

Other than the mystery elements found in the plot, I really enjoyed the cast in The Last of Sheila. They bring life and a sense of enjoyment to the movie. I've always been a fan of James Coburn, but I don't remember ever seeing him having so much apparent fun with a role. I've always thought of James Mason as an under-appreciated actor and he gives his usual steady performance. The shocking part of the cast for me was Dyan Cannon. I'm not sure I've seen in her many other films and I've always looked at her as something of a laughing buffoon. She's good here and holds her own with the rest of the cast. As for the rest of the actors, other than Raquel Welch, I would say that everyone in the cast delivers a solid performance.

9/10