Monday, November 19, 2012

Movie review - "The Touch" (1971) **1/2

Ingmar Bergman makes a film in English, with Elliot Gould to boot. To be honest, some of this isn't very good - there's some dreadful dialogue (poor Gould's early lines in particular), that pop jazzy theme song, and Bibi Andersson acting erratically. I've read some reviews of this film which played her performance, but I found her over the shop, even if she does show off her boobs. (This is still a novelty for me, seeing this in Bergman movies.) Gould isn't bad, his presence (shaggy dark hair) is used in good contrast to the Swedes, but neither are as good as Max Von Sydow who is excellent.

The plot involves Andersson having an affair with Gould - she keeps going back to him despite the fact at times he can't get it up, slaps her around, isn't much of a root, is mean, and speaks unconvincing English dialogue. But every time I was about to write it off, the movie would bounce back with an effective scene or moment or some great acting. No masterpiece, but worth seeing, if only for the sheer novelty of it.

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