Sweet, naive Jacki (a perky and appealing portrayal by the adorable Judy Geeson) and moody, petulant Julian (a solid and effective performance by Martin Potter) are a couple of rich, spoiled, and sheltered fraternal twins who live in their own odd fantasy world and have an extremely close and uneasy symbiotic relationship. Their fragile personal universe gets ripped asunder with dire consequences for everyone when sneaky and ingratiating small-time criminal Clive Landseer (excellently played with devilish charm to spare by Alexis Kanner) attempts to blackmail Julian. Director Alan Gibson and writer Edmund Ward not only offer a funky and flavorsome depiction of the seamy underbelly of the decadent Swingin' Mod London night scene (the soundtrack in particular is appropriately groovy), but also deliver a frank and disturbing exploration of the darker, more unhealthy, and suffocating side of sibling love and loyalty complete with a bold presentation of incest and a stunning sequence in which Jacki and Julian dress up in white bedsheets and challenge Clive to tell them apart. Geeson and Potter display a strong and totally convincing natural chemistry in the lead roles; they receive sturdy support from Michael Redgrave as smooth, kindly politician James Harrington-Smith, Mike Pratt as menacing hoodlum Rod Barstowe, Freddie Jones as pompous, sharp-tongued overaged partygoer David Curry, Marion Diamond as Julian's long-suffering girlfriend Denise Pryce, and Terry Scully as mincing homosexual Nigel Garfield. Kudos are also in order for Geoffrey Unsworth's crisp and vibrant cinematography and Christopher Gunning's sumptuous score. The startling downbeat ending packs a very potent punch. Worth a look.
Review of Goodbye Gemini
