THE TWELVE CHAIRS (1970) **1/2 Mel Brooks' second directorial effort is understated, giving little hint of the glories to come. Other than the indecently bloated accents, of course (Mel wins, definitely). Understated Mel Brooks = contradiction in terms, to be understood as making only the occasional effort at rendering itself and all around it ridiculous in an effort to take over the world by the ingenious stroke of universally lower standards. I mean, this is silly, no doubt about it, but it hasn't yet achieved the consciousness that silliness can be an end to itself, as well as the alpha and omega which leaves you realizing that there's no beginning and no end and nothing else but silliness. Don DeLuise is actually fairly svelte, he must have put on 80 pounds a year for the next.few years anyway. Amazing what success can do for a man and what a man can do that leads to success. Worked out for everybody. Frank Langella is even more svelte, and very handsome, so getting old and not so pretty is what worked for him. Wow, what a bunch of diverse career strategies these guys have employed! Makes you wonder how anything could not work, the way they show how anything works. Could have used more Bridget Brice and Andréas Voutsinas, I'm surprised Mel didn't ride them more. I mean, hell, I figured he'd ride anybody. "Live while you're alive/no one will survive.hope for the best/expect the worst/life is a play/we're unrehearsed."
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