I don't know what to make of this movie. Dubbing it into French might help because it superficially resembles films by Éric Rohmer, except that those films celebrate intelligent dialog that contrasts with the contradictory behavior of the protagonists. There is nothing intelligent in the speech of these characters.
Further, Rohmer uses movement in his films; this movie moves from set piece to set piece. The cast is terrific but trapped in a bad screen play with indifferent direction. That is a shame because Mr. Hiller directed some splendid films, including the great "The Americanization of Emily", the entertaining "Silver Streak" and the winsome "Romantic Comedy", all well worth seeing. That last film is witty, ironic, and playful the way a Rohmer film is.
The children's play around which the story emerges is a splendid interpretation of the enchanting song "The Circle Game" by Joni Mitchell. I wish the rest of the film had that charm. My rating is high because of that sequence.
1 out of 3 found this helpful