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Based on the bittersweet stage comedy by Jean Anouilh, Waltz of the Toreadors is graced by the superb performance of Peter Sellers as a celebrated British Army general whose retirement, just prior to the outbreak of World War I, leads to a midlife crisis that's both comedically rich and dramatically compelling. Faced with the horrifying prospect of retirement with his wealthy, shrewish, hypochondriac wife (Margaret Leighton), he finds himself lost in the fond memory of his platonic affair, 17 years earlier, with the beautiful French girl Ghislaine (Dany Robin), whom he has never forgotten. When Ghislane surprisingly reappears with a desire to consummate their past relationship, the general must postpone their rendezvous and suddenly finds himself competing with his young aide, who has managed to steal Ghislaine's heart during the general's brief absence. This tale of a bruised male ego, the vanishing of youth, and the delightful persistence of amorous impulse allows Sellers to pursue a brilliant combination of light comedy and emotional depth. The actor's appearance in a chubby bodysuit and aging makeup completes the picture to flawless effect, but as played by Sellers, this frisky hero is far from past his prime. Shifting gracefully from fuming frustration to mischievous romance, Sellers (with an assist from director John Guillermin) succeeds in giving the film the crucial balance of humor and sadness that Anouilh intended. A pure delight right up to its hopefully upbeat ending, Waltz of the Toreadors is the kind of literate, clever, revealing look at human behavior that never goes out of style. --Jeff Shannon
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