In spite of the magical chemistry created by Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn, the endearing, bittersweet Mancini score, and the very pleasing scenery of southern France, I found the repetitious dialogue very monotonous after the first hour or so. Having been married for 27 years, I understand at least a little bit of what the writers and director were trying to express, but an hour of this was more than enough for me to endure.
The segment with William Daniels, Eleanor Bron, and their spoiled brat of a child was entirely too realistic for me and became more annoying than entertaining. I have known too many disagreeable nudnicks like Cathy and Howard Manchester in real life, and the very thought of suffering through a long road trip with them actually made me instantly carsick. Why would Joanna and Mark agree to do this in the first place? If a reason were given, I must have nodded off at that point. The role of Maurice (Claude Dauphine) as Mark's perpetually invasive, interfering boss also became very displeasing and unrealistic to me. How could these architects achieve so much success when they designed a house with a fundamentally flawed electrical system? Was there a subtle message there about the shaky basis of Mark's supposedly accomplished career? "Mark, can I speak to you for ten minutes?" Oh shut up, Maurice. Less talking and more thought, please. And what exactly did Joanna see in David? To me, he was just another stiff who only helped to weigh the movie down even more.
While the major components of the film, especially the lovely presence and strong performance of Audrey Hepburn, should have produced an outstanding overall result, this just fell flat for me. The trip started out smooth, but I found myself getting very road weary in the middle and looking for the nearest Best Western where I could finally unburden my soul and take a good nap.
The segment with William Daniels, Eleanor Bron, and their spoiled brat of a child was entirely too realistic for me and became more annoying than entertaining. I have known too many disagreeable nudnicks like Cathy and Howard Manchester in real life, and the very thought of suffering through a long road trip with them actually made me instantly carsick. Why would Joanna and Mark agree to do this in the first place? If a reason were given, I must have nodded off at that point. The role of Maurice (Claude Dauphine) as Mark's perpetually invasive, interfering boss also became very displeasing and unrealistic to me. How could these architects achieve so much success when they designed a house with a fundamentally flawed electrical system? Was there a subtle message there about the shaky basis of Mark's supposedly accomplished career? "Mark, can I speak to you for ten minutes?" Oh shut up, Maurice. Less talking and more thought, please. And what exactly did Joanna see in David? To me, he was just another stiff who only helped to weigh the movie down even more.
While the major components of the film, especially the lovely presence and strong performance of Audrey Hepburn, should have produced an outstanding overall result, this just fell flat for me. The trip started out smooth, but I found myself getting very road weary in the middle and looking for the nearest Best Western where I could finally unburden my soul and take a good nap.