7/10
Bolling Boil-over
8 January 2010
Young stockbroker (Benjamin as the glib affectation of a caring husband, a role in which he became stereotyped) has a penchant for peeping, much to the chagrin of his long suffering wife (Shimkus) which eventually drives a wedge between them, and much at the behest of her meddling sister (Ashley). Often criticised for its titillation aspects, this is one of those microcosms of life stories that's funny, raunchy, sad and touching all in a compact hour-and-a-half. The abrupt, overly-simplistic conclusion might attract some ire, but it's not a 'who-dunnit', so by no means a deal breaker.

Not the deep, emotive analysis it probably could've been, but nevertheless entertaining and memorable for a number of reasons. The theme song, while distant and now long-forgotten is a great little pseudo-country tune by Linda Ronstadt, and still among her best. Adam West in a semi-serious post "Batman" role is a casting coup that can't be easily ignored, although his tonal inflexions do occasionally conjure memories of "to the batpole!".

But the real deal is Tiffany Bolling's "girl in the rain" character, which in my opinion, immortalises this picture. Even despite the brevity of her screen-time, her sun-showered radiance floods the frame. She's raw and devastating; the epitome of seduction. The boiling saucepan metaphor adds a humorous texture, but more significantly, the movie turns on this one scene, making it, and Bolling's character, pivotal. Bolling forged a mediocre career in B-movies in the seventies, but this virtually mute cameo, will undoubtedly be her cinema legacy.

Those expecting an intellectual thesis on domesticity and the manacles of modern marriage will be disappointed - this is not the Everest and nor does it purport to be; those just after a movie they can appreciate for its many layers should be kept entertained.
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