As an artifact, La Cage Aux Folles remains fascinating. As a film... Well, it plays like a fascinating artifact. Though pokily staged up to its final act, it manages some real laughs.

The comic turns in the plot are achieved with such clockwork timing that sometimes we're laughing at what's funny and sometimes we're just laughing at the movie's sheer comic invention. This is a great time at the movies.

Molinaro never explores the ambiguous central relationships, and he doesn't lend the laugh machine of a movie enough speed and wit to work on us all by itself. But at least he puts the performers front and center.

The result is very funny; and the humor seems to provide something for everyone.