A NEW LEAF: 1971 (Prime Video rental $3.99) I decided to watch an even older film than Fatal Attraction. This 1971 movie stars a rather young-looking Walter Matthau and Elaine May, who also directed the film. The first thing I noticed was that the “mood music” was very loud. I don’t remember that at the time I was watching movies in the 70s. I noticed how good Matthau was! And Elaine May—what a comedic dynamo she was. Who can forget those Nichols and May's comedies of 1960. Although they announced the end of their partnership in 1961, the two left behind one of the most popular and imitated comedy acts of its time. We also get to see a young and pretty Doris Roberts as the thieving housekeeper of May’s disorganized and criminal passel of servants. The story is this: A spoiled, self-absorbed and unlikable man who has squandered his inheritance, Henry Graham (Walter Matthau) is desperate to find a way to maintain his lavish lifestyle. Henry sees an opportunity when he meets Henrietta Lowell (Elaine May), an awkward Botanist whose dream it is to find a new species of fern, which will be named after her. When she finds it on a honeymoon with Henry, she names it after him. That doesn’t persuade him drop the surprisingly sinister scheme he has developed to rid himself of Henrietta, but he finds that seeing it through may not be as easy as he had thought. The movie scored high with the critics on RT earning a respectable 94%. One critic wrote: “Maybe you can't even remember the last time you saw a purely lovable movie. A New Leaf, Elaine May's airy romantic comedy about a penniless bon vivant's pursuit of a gentle but very wealthy frump, will refresh your memory. I will end this review with a comment by my daughter, Martha, who remembers the movie fondly: “Funny and heart-warming too.” Gary and I agree and grade this film an A-. (This movie is 50 years old!  Grading an old movie is somewhat of a history lesson. If they made it today they’d make it differently—not necessarily better, but certainly different.) If you choose to see this film, keep in mind it wasn't made in 2024. GRADE A-