I've read with interest a number of user comments on this film, and I've come to the conclusion that many people have no idea what true classic comedy entails. Blake Edwards is, without a doubt, the finest comic director of the past fifty years, and this film is a prime example of why. The casting is flawless, the material is deeply funny, but it is the *details* that make this film the incredibly uproarious vehicle that it is. Edwards' forte is comic surprise; the little things that come completely out of left field, the sotto voce comments made (the judge telling the butler, "oh, and kill the dog"...then, some moments later, in the background, a gunshot rings out, Basinger miming the drunk test which Willis is easily passing, falling down in the background while trying to stand on one foot).
If you haven't really *watched* this film, then do so...and learn to cherish one of filmdom's greatest talents, Blake Edwards.
If you haven't really *watched* this film, then do so...and learn to cherish one of filmdom's greatest talents, Blake Edwards.