Sunday, January 01, 2017

Movie review - "Daisy Miller" (1974) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

The first of the "three flops" that famously brought Peter Bogdanovich back down to earth. This is decent take on Henry James' novel (which I admit I've never read) about a stuffy American who falls for a flirty American in Europe.

In hindsight you can see the appeal of the novel to Bogdanovich - it's based on novel which isn't really like a typical Hollywood genre, so it was something different; it offered a great role for Cybill Shepherd; the relationship between the male lead and Shepherd/Miller  was clearly something Bogdanovich understood - hot girl worshipped by nerdy guy.

It's a very Bogdanovich style of film too - Shepherd of course, his stock company (Eileen Brennan, Cloris Leachman), use of long takes with rapid fire dialogue.

It's an interesting sort of movie rather than enjoyable. I tuned in and out. The ending was moving when Shepherd dies - but even that happens off screen. Certainly no dog but you can see why the public didn't go for it.

Larry McMurtry's kid is in it.

No comments: