Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Movie review - "The Statue" (1971) *

The last screen credit for Australian writer Alec Coppel while he was alive. According to the credits its based on an unproduced play "Chip, Chip, Chip" - it's hard to get a copy of this, so I'm not sure how much was Coppel, or how much co-writer Dennis Nordern, but the Australian born writer did have a track record with dopey sex comedies (eg The Captain's Paradise).

This has the sort of plot that kind of sounds high concept but actually isn't - famed professor David Niven (holding his dignity surprisingly well) looks at a statue his wife (Virna Lisi) has made based on him... only the penis is massive so he becomes convinced that she's cheated on him.

Now if he's genuinely worried about that, there are deeper problems in the marriage - but this is not really dealt with. So much of this feels forced - the "importance" the statute in Robert Vaughan's political career (he's the US ambassador to England hoping to run for president), the legal argument that Niven needs to have the statue suppressed, the nature of his relationship with his wife, the point of Niven's assistant Ann Bell (I think she might just be there to go topless - it's set up she and Niven might be lovers but not much is dealt with), all the forced gay jokes and satire and plotting. It's a pretty dreadful film.

There is some poppy music and bright European scenery and the actors do commit. I hope Niven put the money to good use on his house or something.

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