For those who believe that true love is assisting a homicidal maniac while simultaneously trying to commit adultery, all in the name of wistful nostalgia, and in the process wrecking one's perfectly good life that includes professorship at Oxford. Still with me?
The performances are superb, although to be honest I felt the script stilted, as if someone was copying Hitchcock without being Hitchcock, and the presence of Barry Foster, the lead in Hitchcock's FRENZY, adds to this suspicion, as if some further cachet were needed to seal the viewer deal. What's wrong with the script? I know it's made-for-(British)-TV, but the ending is quite rushed after all the red herrings and relationship conversations were set in place. Was it clever anyway? OK, I didn't think Miranda was going to be QUITE so insane, but I knew it wasn't going to end well. How could it?
The plot goes under the heading "watch out for living the past" along with "keep to your own business." OK, OK, so Westgate (Peck) wanted a little excitement in his life? No? Then he should've scrammed when he saw the scissors in Pilkington's neck. No? You say true love conquers all? Westgate isn't even married to her, so he has no vested interest to protect her, other than he wants a few more minutes (or a lifetime) with "Patch". It's very anti-hierarchy also, somewhat subversive in saying that Oxford produces this bunch, with chloroform and attachments.
Hey, I watched the whole thing, and I felt my anger at Peck turning to sadness for him, and then for us all as humans. Does that mean good filmmaking, that I can feel feelings? Eh, I feel awe on the 27th viewing of PREDATOR, and joy on the 100th viewing of THE SANTA CLAUSE. So you make the call.
The performances are superb, although to be honest I felt the script stilted, as if someone was copying Hitchcock without being Hitchcock, and the presence of Barry Foster, the lead in Hitchcock's FRENZY, adds to this suspicion, as if some further cachet were needed to seal the viewer deal. What's wrong with the script? I know it's made-for-(British)-TV, but the ending is quite rushed after all the red herrings and relationship conversations were set in place. Was it clever anyway? OK, I didn't think Miranda was going to be QUITE so insane, but I knew it wasn't going to end well. How could it?
The plot goes under the heading "watch out for living the past" along with "keep to your own business." OK, OK, so Westgate (Peck) wanted a little excitement in his life? No? Then he should've scrammed when he saw the scissors in Pilkington's neck. No? You say true love conquers all? Westgate isn't even married to her, so he has no vested interest to protect her, other than he wants a few more minutes (or a lifetime) with "Patch". It's very anti-hierarchy also, somewhat subversive in saying that Oxford produces this bunch, with chloroform and attachments.
Hey, I watched the whole thing, and I felt my anger at Peck turning to sadness for him, and then for us all as humans. Does that mean good filmmaking, that I can feel feelings? Eh, I feel awe on the 27th viewing of PREDATOR, and joy on the 100th viewing of THE SANTA CLAUSE. So you make the call.
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