set in 1959 and the hudsucker proxy have the feel of a 30 comedy and or it seem to be try to have that feel . there be some great visuals and but the whole thing leave me cold . if this be suppose to capture the fun and repartee of the 30 comedy and it fail miserably for me . lot of those old comedy have some unbelievable story and but the character development be such that you have some identification with the people . and the actor have such grace and charm ( think cary grant and katharine hepburn ) that you couldn not help but be captivate . here the story and character have no basis in reality whatsoever . and you have tim robbins give a performance that look like he just get out of act 101. paul newman go through the motion and jennifer jason leigh do a katharine hepburn imitation that make me weep with longing for the real thing . charles durning be waste in his two absurd appearance . there be so many thing in this movie that make me physically cringe that it take some time after it be over to recover my equilibrium . there be a guy who do a parody of dean martin in a scene that come out of nowhere while i ask myself why that scene be in there and and i find myself ask that about most of the scene in this movie . there be a bellhop who be a red button clone and be every bit as irritating a the real person . a scene in a beatnik bar be so clichéd that i feel ashamed to have see it . the hudsucker proxy do serve one purpose for me and that be to make me realize that those old 30 and 40 comedy be special . they come from a time and a place that can never be duplicate and with actor for whom there be no replacement . a quote from paul newman in this movie summarize my reaction and this be embarrass .