Peter Falk's rumpled shrewdness made Columbo a defining role, but we are just as persuaded by his warmth. In The Princess Bride, he makes listening to a grandfather feel as promising as the adventure he has to tell.
Fi1m perspective
Peter Falk has a sceptical listener to win over in The Princess Bride (1987), and he makes that small task worth watching. As the grandfather telling a story to Fred Savage's grandson, he gives the framing scenes a warmth that does not depend on the adventure getting under way. We were touched by the affection between teller and listener, because Falk makes the telling matter even while the boy remains unconvinced. Rob Reiner lets that resistance stand for anyone inclined to dismiss princes and sorcery. Falk gives us a reason to stay before the tale has done so.
Murder, Inc. (1960) was an early breakthrough, but Columbo (1971) came to define his public image. The rumpled lieutenant's deceptive shrewdness gave Falk a familiar screen identity, one that could make his other work harder to see. Alongside the television work came repeated collaborations with John Cassavetes, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974), in which he played Nick Longhetti. Cassavetes's improvisational, naturalistic approach put that familiar presence to different uses.
In Wings of Desire (1987), his warmth serves a quieter purpose. Wim Wenders casts him as the Filmstar, and he belongs in a fantasy that asks us to pay attention to ordinary lives. Henri Alekan's roaming camera helps keep the film welcoming; Falk's contribution works in the same spirit. We rate the film highly without excusing its solemn dialogue or the romance that slows it down. The human company is a better reason to watch than the weightier speeches.
Falk's familiarity can also be a distraction: Columbo is so firmly attached to him that the other characters risk being measured against it. That is a poor test for a supporting performance whose work may be simply to make us welcome. In The Princess Bride, the lovers are less interesting than their companions, and the grandfather's scenes have more to offer than a pause between adventures. Reiner makes good use of Falk by giving the telling itself some importance. Start there, and resist treating the interruptions as time away from the good bits.
Biography
Peter Falk (1927–2011) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Lieutenant Columbo in the NBC/ABC series Columbo (1971–1978, 1989–2003), winning four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for the role.
Falk received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Murder, Inc. (1960) and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). His film credits include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Murder by Death (1976), The Princess Bride (1987) as The Grandfather, Wings of Desire (1987) as The Filmstar, The Player (1992) and Next (2007).
