Citizen Kane, it's not, but the movie has something that Kane lacked... laughs a whole lot of laughs, admittedly Kane was not about laughs it was about holding a mirror to the life of William Randolph Hearst. Although you might not think of a movie about couples cheating on their respective spouses as humorous. Even by today's the standards the plot is really inventive: Two middle aged couples, one ventures out to a "retreat" and returns... changed. By that I mean sexually free, and what better way to be sexually free than with a couple you know? Bob and Carol (the retreat/returning couple) begin a crusade to get Ted and Alice into the bedroom for shenanigans most foul.
The movie handles the subject matter of affairs and the sexual revolution both maturely and immaturely, the former with the high level of humor and dry wit, and immaturely because... well, they just have free sex. There are moments of drama, and moments of comedy, perfectly blended into a black comedy of tremendous charm and... sex appeal (mainly Natalie Wood).
It's not often I say it in these reviews, but the score is so perfect. Quincy Jones provides a soul tot he movie with his beautifully conducted
But, all the above is worthless if the four people in the bed had porn quality acting to match the porn quality jazz. Luckily, the movie has three strong performances... for those keeping track at home there are four main characters. Elliot Gould was great: quirky, nerdy, down right like able. He portrays Ted as just the kind of guy you'd want to have a beer with, he'd be fun but he wouldn't be too much, match that with the chemistry between himself and Dyan Cannon (Alice) their relationship isn't perfect like most comedy marriages, but they really try and because they really love each other they are willing to try anything. Also strong is Natalie Wood, who as I mentioned earlier, is damn sexy in this movie. She balances out nerdy couple Ted and Alice perfectly, by playing a character that would fit in perfectly on Wysteria Lane. (DISCLAIMER: I only watched that show the times I did because of Eva Longoria-Parker).
Which brings me to Robert Culp.
I don't know how to say this without sounding like a nit picker... oh why not. Culp is the weak link because of his physical demeanor and mannerisms. Yeah, that's what brings this movie down, stuff Culp had no control over. Now, dear reader, let me explain. The character of Bob is supposed to be cool, he's a film director, rich, married to a hot woman, he does recreational drugs (not advocating but going into the archetype of 'cool' people in cinema...), he's even seen wearing leather jackets and (at the time) hip clothing and speaking in the parlance of the times. That having been said... Robert Culp is not that guy. To describe his square peg in a cool hole: Imagine if Cyclops got some fake claws and tried to convince everyone he was the best at what he does, but what he does isn't very nice. Nobody would fall for it because that's just not who Cyclops is, the same situation plays itself out here, a tragically unhip guy trying to be the coolest guy in the room... he fails.
Other than that, the movie is pretty solid with a nice (used loosely) story, coupled with great acting, cool music, and nice camerawork. Although not the funniest or most touching movie, it's still better than the drivel that gets released nowadays.
Dr. Brooklyn says: LIKE this movie (8.75/10)
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