David Niven's first autobiography The Moon's a Balloon was a fantastic bestselling success in 1972; when you watch Paper Tiger, you can't help but wonder if it was written for the star after someone read his memoir. In the book, Niven shares countless, incredibly detailed stories from his time in the service, and in the movie, he shares just as many entertaining war anecdotes. It was an absolutely perfect role for that time in his career.
In Paper Tiger, David Niven, an English WW2 veteran whose war injury requires a cane, is hired by the Japanese ambassador, Toshiro Mifune, to tutor his young son. Immediately, The Niv and Ando, a most adorable little boy in his first and only film, bond as Niv talks about his time in the war. Ando puts Niv up on a very high pedestal, and he enjoys imagining fantasy war games starring the brave teacher. Sounds cute enough, but where's the conflict?
Enter Hardy Kruger, a nosy (and gorgeous) reporter, who's suspicious of everyone and starts pestering The Niv. An American tourist, Jeff Corey, talks to Hardy about some conversations he's had with Niv, and immediately, Niv says, "I wouldn't pay attention to anything he said. . ." Is he hiding something, and will Hardy figure it out? As if that's not enough of an obstacle, a terrorist organization kidnaps both the boy and his tutor and holds them hostage, in hopes that the ambassador will cave to their demands. What will the old war hero do?
David Niven gives a wonderful, touching performance, and Ando is such a natural. Their chemistry is very realistic; it's really cute when Niven starts to describe a battle story and then Ando's imagination takes over, giving the audience a combination of a flashback and a fantasy to watch. I absolutely loved this movie, and I highly recommend you rent it during your next family movie night. It's family friendly, and has laughs, dramatic tension, action, very nice music, great acting, and a story that just might require you to bring your Kleenexes. If you've read my reviews on Hot Toasty Rag, you know how much I love The Niv. I've read all his books, and he even earned enough nominations to join the Hall of Fame. While I look forward to watching The Bishop's Wife every Christmas, and I bawl my way through Enchantment, Paper Tiger is my favorite David Niven movie. It's sweet, sad, and never fails to make me smile. I was so happy to cast my vote for the role that finally won him a Rag Award!
In Paper Tiger, David Niven, an English WW2 veteran whose war injury requires a cane, is hired by the Japanese ambassador, Toshiro Mifune, to tutor his young son. Immediately, The Niv and Ando, a most adorable little boy in his first and only film, bond as Niv talks about his time in the war. Ando puts Niv up on a very high pedestal, and he enjoys imagining fantasy war games starring the brave teacher. Sounds cute enough, but where's the conflict?
Enter Hardy Kruger, a nosy (and gorgeous) reporter, who's suspicious of everyone and starts pestering The Niv. An American tourist, Jeff Corey, talks to Hardy about some conversations he's had with Niv, and immediately, Niv says, "I wouldn't pay attention to anything he said. . ." Is he hiding something, and will Hardy figure it out? As if that's not enough of an obstacle, a terrorist organization kidnaps both the boy and his tutor and holds them hostage, in hopes that the ambassador will cave to their demands. What will the old war hero do?
David Niven gives a wonderful, touching performance, and Ando is such a natural. Their chemistry is very realistic; it's really cute when Niven starts to describe a battle story and then Ando's imagination takes over, giving the audience a combination of a flashback and a fantasy to watch. I absolutely loved this movie, and I highly recommend you rent it during your next family movie night. It's family friendly, and has laughs, dramatic tension, action, very nice music, great acting, and a story that just might require you to bring your Kleenexes. If you've read my reviews on Hot Toasty Rag, you know how much I love The Niv. I've read all his books, and he even earned enough nominations to join the Hall of Fame. While I look forward to watching The Bishop's Wife every Christmas, and I bawl my way through Enchantment, Paper Tiger is my favorite David Niven movie. It's sweet, sad, and never fails to make me smile. I was so happy to cast my vote for the role that finally won him a Rag Award!