Highly regarded in accounts of the careers of Peter Finch and Ralph Thomas, so I was keen to see it, but it was underwhelming. The skill that went into it was evident - it is a well made movie, Thomas does a strong job (it's easily one of his best movies) and Finch is typically excellent.
I had more problems dramatically.It sort of flounders. Finch is a Labour MP who doesn't get a cabinet position and then sooks a bit. His wife leaves him, his neighbour upstairs (Billie Whitelaw) has the hots for him, he goes and roots a 20 year old (Mary Peach).
Are we meant to care? He doesn't seem to have much drive or ambition he just sort of ambles along. He's keen to have sex with Peach, that gives it some narrative and she has sex with them then calls it off sensible. He's not good at his job - he never seems to care about his constituents, or even that in to any of his women.
There's some bed scenes with Finch and Peach - I think they were hoping for another Room at the Top but it didn't happen. Harvey's desires in that film were clear and understandable. He was faced with a clear moral choice which made things exciting. This plods along.
There's nothing at stake - when his wife suggests they try again it means nothing because they don't like each other and also she's a communist holding his career back so it's good it doesn't work out; the plot with Whitelaw goes nowhere; he gets to have sex with Peach, and she breaks it off causing no trouble. I mean he misses her but that's it. It's not a good match politically.
Reviews were kind. I think they were influenced by the fact the author of the novel died prior to publication.
The acting is uniformly strong - people like Stanley Holloway, Donald Pleasance, etc.
At the end I was like... oh... right. Well. Nicely done. But dull.
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