The Goodbye Girl

Written by Neil Simon, it's no surprise that this is a classy piece of Broadway sitcom. Mason and Dreyfuss play with comic panache and vitality as the couple reluctantly obliged to cohabit, even if occasionally their physical energy adds to the impression that this is simply theatre on celluloid. Equally, interest flags after they get to bed, endorsing the line that 'It's amazing how flabby you get when you're happy'. But overall Simon's ego-splitting wisecracks make for many good laughs, even though, in contrast to Woody Allen's nervous New York humour, which has the discomforting ring of truth, Simon opts for a playwright's ring of confidence.