Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues

Directed by Mike Nichols, Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues follows a group of army cadets, including Matthew Broderick’s Morris Jerome and Corey Parker’s Arnold B. Epstein, as they’re whipped into shape by an intimidating drill sergeant named Merwin J. Toomey. It’s familiar subject matter that’s employed to erratic yet mostly satisfying effect by Nichols, as the filmmaker, armed with Simon’s screenplay, delivers a compelling drama that benefits from its smattering of engrossing sequences and uniformly compelling performances – with, in terms of the latter, Broderick’s charming, ingratiating turn as the movie’s affable hero effectively anchoring the proceedings through a somewhat hit-and-miss first half. (Walken’s commanding and frequently electrifying work remains an ongoing highlight within the proceedings, to be sure.) And although the episodic narrative admittedly does contain its share of less-than-enthralling stretches, Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues builds towards an unexpectedly spellbinding climax focused on a nail-biting confrontation between Broderick and Walken’s respective characters – which, when coupled with a pervasively agreeable atmosphere, cements the picture’s place as a top-notch adaptation of Simon’s lauded stage play.

*** out of ****