Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Movie review - "All the Right Noises" (1971) ** (warning: spoilers)

 Shot in 1969 but took some time to be released. Mid life crisis movie, with 30-something lighting director (!) (first time this profession in a lead role?) has a fling with an actress, despite him being married with two kids, then finds out she's 15, and keeps rooting her.

There's some complications, but not many - the actress thinks she's pregnant for a bit then she isn't. They break up amicably. The wife never finds out. There's no question of being a predator apparently - Olivia Hussey is young and gorgeous as the girl and clearly up for it, untraumatised, gentle, wistful. It's a middle aged man wet dream, really. He's also got a hot wife, Judy Carne, who he likes and has a decent sex life with, then this teen comes along and he bangs her, and it's not too hard to deal with, then she goes. Og he's got a ddad who hassles fr some money.

Tom Bell is good in the lead - they were trying to turn him into a star around this time. The film got financed because Nic Roeg was a mate of writer director Gerry O'Hara and recommended the script to a producer.

The movie just ends. It hints Carne might figure it out but... nope. Credits roll.

In the last five minutes there's a scene with Yootha Joyce as a whining actress and she's terrific and Lesley Ann Downe is a friend and she's pretty and you realise all the dramatic opportunities this film didn't take. No wife finding out, no gossips, no parents of Hussey or boyfriend of Hussey. It's an ad for sleeping with fifteen year old girls really.

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