A film made at the tail end of Gould's first big burst of stardom, which he helped produce. It was based on a play he appeared in on Broadway. It flopped but then had a successful Off-Broadway revival - something which I'm sure gave false hope to many a failed Broadway playwright.
Some of it is very funny. It does feel like a play - long monologues, most of the action takes place in apartments. The acting is superb. Loved Gould. Loved Donald Sutherland's cameo. Really liked Marcia Rodd, who isn't very well known, but has the most important role. Everyone is good - including Alan Arkin, who directed.
Maybe this isn't a movie, but it's worth watching. It's very bleak about New York. Has any city undergone a revearsal in how its depicted than New York in the 60s. Only a few years earlier you had these sunny films like Move Over Darling and Sunday in New York then by the end of the decade its Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Out of Towners and this.
The death of the lead girl is genuinely shocking and powers the last third.
Elliot Gould really had a fascinating 70s movie star career. Some zeitgeist hits, a bunch of flops and several films which should be better known, including this one.
NB Godard was going to direct this at one stage! That would have been interesting.
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