The Odd Couple

When his wife throws him out, a fastidious man moves in with a slovenly friend. Both are divorced and neither can live alone. Sharing the flat becomes the whole subject. The film never inflates what the fights are about: the washing up, the curtains, what time dinner is served. Neil Simon's stage lines are kept almost intact, so the comedy comes entirely out of two men's speaking rhythm. The Lemmon and Matthau pairing set here was sought again in a dozen later films, and the premise went on to a long-running television series. Worth knowing: it takes place in one apartment and has almost no plot. If listening to dialogue is not your pleasure, it will feel long.