A film that holds a special place in my heart, because I saw it in an odd time, newly single and just about to start articles. Apparently this brought the house down at the Toronto Festival, a screening that helped ensure the film got a US release but it chalked up under a million at the box office. The film has a lot going for it but never quite seems to work.
The opening sequence is promising, establishing the rivalry between two brothers over a girl, plus some pleasant albeit gratuitous n*dity from Raelee Hill, then going to the hotel... whereupon it starts to run out of puff.
There's no real drive and the tone doesn't seem to work - Simon Bossell is established as this kind of hard working romantic but then goes over the top mad stalking Saffron Burrowes; there's scenes like where Saffron Burrowes is reading on a bench and a couple is kissing - Aden Young sits down right in the middle of the couple and they touch his face, etc - which is funny but not realistic at all, he wouldn't have sat down there.
None of the three leads is quite right - Aden Young is charismatic but has never been that good with straight man comedy (he was good in Cosi), Bossell goes over the top and Burrowes is wooden (not a terribly likeable character either); Peter O'Brien occasionally overdoes his Ralph Bellamy part, too.
The stand out is Pippa Grandison, who is totally spot on and very winning; her scenes with Bossell are genuinely charming and the ending is lovely; Ray Barrett and Julia Blake are strong too and the film looks good. I liked the twist with the secret of the party revealed.
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