Walter Matthau is a dope smoking, communist philosophy-spouting old timer, hooking up with the similar Ossie Davis in this somewhat stilted adaptation of Herb Gardner's award-winning Broadway offering.
Gardner, directing from his own screenplay, seems unsure how to open up the material despite Matthau's splendid performance, and consequently the film flounders in its minor characters and pointless political backdrops. Some fun to be had along the way though, and you can't help but think the film's giving a slight wink to The Odd Couple. Great acting carries it through, but you'll want to swing for the wandering saxophonist by the end.