PLAY IT AS IT LAYS (1972)

Title: PLAY IT AS IT LAYS

Year of Release: 1972

Director: Frank Perry

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: An actress reflects upon her rollercoaster life while living in a sanitarium.

Within a film history context: Films with a film actress character as a lead protagonist have been featured from the silent era. One of the earliest examples was Maurice Tourneur's A GIRL'S FOLLY (1917). A young woman from the country wants to escape her surroundings, and one day finds a film crew shooting a western in her hometown. She becomes acquainted with the lead actor, who suggests she pursue acting, but dreams clash with reality for her in this comedy. Another silent, SOULS FOR SALE (1923), directed by Rupert Hughes, followed a young woman who decides she wants to be a star, but her husband's reputation may put the brakes on this ambition. A silent considered lost, William C. de Mille's THE RUNAWAY (1926), starred Clara Bow as a young actress who believes she might be indicted for a man's murder, and runs away. She is then taken in by a man from the country, but several surprising events ensure life does not weary her. BROKEN HEARTS OF HOLLYWOOD (1926), directed by Lloyd Bacon, is another rare movie. In this instance, contrasts are drawn between two women, one a former actress returning to the screen, the other her daughter, a newcomer seeking fame. Both mother and daughter are cast in the same film, but backstage fracas threaten their union. King Vidor's silent SHOW PEOPLE (1928), was a Marion Davies property, with a young woman from Georgia yearning for stardom, but getting involved in wacky antics, and romantic escapades. The 1930s also had varied views of film actresses.

The sound SHOW GIRL IN HOLLYWOOD (1930), directed by Mervyn LeRoy, was about a Broadway actress whose show closes, and aspires to go to Hollywood. but finds the path to stardom very difficult. A mood of mystery permeated Hamilton MacFadden's THE BLACK CAMEL (1931). A film actress is murdered, and detective Charlie Chan investigates this crime, finding the actress enmeshed in a tangled chain of events. One of the most notable movies about a film actress was WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? (1932), directed by George Cukor. A waitress makes a career change, becoming a Hollywood actress, meanwhile the career of the director who discovered her is tarnished by his alcoholism. In contrast, the tone was comic in William Beaudine's MAKE ME A STAR (1932). A Hollywood actress assists a young man to work in a western, with many amusing passages as a result. TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934), directed by Howard Hawks, centered around a stage director, and his protege, a young woman, telegraphing their fraught, but funny relationship. As his career nosedives, hers soars in this comedy with John Barrymore, and Carole Lombard in the lead roles. Another famous movie about a film actress was William Wellman's A STAR IS BORN (1937). A young woman finds Hollywood fame, and meets her idol, a film actor. After a courtship the couple marry, but his alcoholism plunges their marriage, and lives, into turmoil. 

Less serious was EXPENSIVE HUSBANDS (1937), directed by Bobby Connolly. A Hollywood actress finding difficulty in getting parts travels to Europe, where a Prince becomes an important part of her life, but all is not what it seems. Reinhold Schunzel's THE ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 (1939), was about a budding impresario wanting to produce a skating extravaganza, casting a woman in the show, later his wife, but their venture is unsuccessful. When the woman is signed by a film studio, her husband's dream takes a backseat, but all is well by the end as the show is a smash. HOLLYWOOD CAVALCADE (1939), directed by Irving Cummings, followed a young silent film star, and her platonic relationship with a director, which continues into the sound era. Walter Lang's STAR DUST (1940), was more comic in tone. The journey of a young woman to stardom was charmingly captured, with Linda Darnell in the main role of a starry-eyed acting aspirant. THE MIRACLE OF THE BELLS (1948), directed by Irving Pichel, was an intricate picture about a movie star who dies before her first film is released, and is brought back to her hometown for her burial, in accordance with her final wishes. The film charts not only what happened to this point, but also, how the movie will be released in light of the death of its leading actress, with a number of perspectives featured. 

One of the leading motion pictures about film actresses was Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950). A silent film actress dreaming of returning to the screen, and her dalliance with a screenwriter, was vividly brought to the screen, with Gloria Swanson as the star, and William Holden as the hapless writer. Another film which examined a silent screen actress, albeit in a breezier vein, was SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952), directed by Stanley Donen, and Gene Kelly. The difficult transition to sound for a silent film actress was one of the tales of this fondly remembered musical. George Cukor's THE ACTRESS (1953), was a retelling of the early life of noted actress and writer Ruth Gordon, the screenplay by Miss Gordon herself. Another George Cukor film, A STAR IS BORN (1954), was a remake of the 1937 movie with Janet Gaynor. The story has been altered slightly, with the main female character, played by Judy Garland, now a singer who becomes a successful actress. The real-life story of Hollywood and Broadway actress Lillian Roth was the focus of Daniel Mann's I'LL CRY TOMORROW (1955). With Susan Hayward as Miss Roth, it followed her rise to fame, and subsequent issues with alcohol, which considerably curtailed her career. 

Mirth was the main function of WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? (1957), directed by Frank Tashlin. In this satire of television and advertising, an ad man requests an actress to be the spokeswoman for a lipstick company, which she accepts. The catch is that the actress wants him to act as her other half, a concept which does not go down well with the ad man's girlfriend. George Sidney's JEANNE EAGELS (1957), was a biopic of the early 1900s stage and screen actress who fell into addiction, and personal tragedy. Liberties were taken with true events which blunted the impact of the movie. In utter contrast, THE FEMALE ANIMAL (1958), directed by Harry Keller, spotlighted a love triangle between an aging actress, her nubile daughter, and a film extra who has a thing for both of them. Most notable as the final picture of Hedy Lamarr, it also included Jane Powell as her daughter, George Nader as the object of their affections, Jan Sterling, and Mabel Albertson. Much more insightful was John Cromwell's THE GODDESS (1958). A young woman's life change from poverty, to international fame as a movie star, with all her insecurities laid bare, was a showcase for Kim Stanley in the lead as the unfortunate film goddess. The biopic of Diana Barrymore, daughter of John Barrymore, thespian extraordinaire, was the crux of TOO MUCH, TOO SOON (1958), directed by Art Napoleon. Miss Barrymore's drug and alcohol addiction, and strained family, and personal relationships, made up the content in this drama. 

The 1960s brought Richard Brooks' SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (1962), to the screen. The study of a drifter, and his relationship with a movie star whose career is on a downward spiral, gave Paul Newman, and Geraldine Page pithy lead roles. Off-the-wall in terms of its content was WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962), directed by Robert Aldrich. The uneasy relationship between two sisters, one a former silent screen star, the other her sister, was what dominated the picture, with Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford in the lead roles. Two films about movie legend Jean Harlow were released in 1965, the first being Alex Segal's HARLOW (1965). With Carol Lynley as Miss Harlow, it was critically derided, and a box office flop. The second HARLOW (1965) movie, directed by Gordon Douglas, was better received, and a moderate financial success. Carroll Baker starred as the ill-fated Jean Harlow, also with Ginger Rogers in her final film role as Miss Harlow's mother. Robert Mulligan's INSIDE DAISY CLOVER (1965), was about the life, and loves of a young woman who becomes a top Hollywood star in the 1930s, with Natalie Wood as Daisy. VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967), directed by Mark Robson, featured three young women striving for success in Hollywood, but finding that their private lives unraveled in a unseemly fashion. Critically ravaged but a huge box office success, it was based upon the best seller by Jacqueline Susann. Robert Aldrich's THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE (1968), starred Kim Novak as an actress who is cast in the role of a late, famous star, and the troubles she encounters in this odyssey. PLAY IT AS IT LAYS was a movie that intimately outlined the life of its main character, actress Maria.

PLAY IT AS IT LAYS shared affinities with the more serious-minded movies about a film actress, such as SOULS FOR SALE, WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD?, A STAR IS BORN, SUNSET BOULEVARD, THE ACTRESS, I'LL CRY TOMORROW, JEANNE EAGELS, THE GODDESS, TOO MUCH, TOO SOON, SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, both HARLOW titles, and THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE. There is an intense focus upon a single protagonist, and the audience comes to understand her passions, flaws, her good side; in essence, complete portraits are drawn of the respective character. The post-war examples after 1950, beginning with SUNSET BOULEVARD, are darker in tone, and execution, than those from beforehand. These also offered more full-blooded portrayals than the uplifting sketches of actresses which SHOW PEOPLE, ICE FOLLIES OF 1939, and STAR DUST presented. The genteel tone of the 1940s pictures, and previous movies, was largely abandoned, with the exception of THE ACTRESS. Other aspects of PLAY IT AS IT LAYS also warrant discussion. 

With its concentration on a single character, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS did not contrast Maria with other female characters, something which BROKEN HEARTS OF HOLLYWOOD, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, and VALLEY OF THE DOLLS successfully executed within their narrative structures. The first two movies pitted two women against another, one a mother and a daughter, the other two actresses. VALLEY OF THE DOLLS was of interest as the lives of three actresses are actively compared, and contrasted throughout the course of the picture. Their relationships with men, mental stability, and how they personally handle the various issues which occur to them are also something which PLAY IT AS IT LAYS relays, albeit with a single character instead of three. Additionally, the earlier movies such as WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? and both A STAR IS BORN films, give an impression of a monogamous, conservative heroine, something which is shattered after SUNSET BOULEVARD. Norma Desmond's liaison with a screenwriter in that film, the characters of THE FEMALE ANIMAL, THE GODDESS, and Neely in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, to name but a few examples, of more liberated female personal behaviour. This also fits with the messy life of PLAY IT AS IT LAYS' Maria, and her various dalliances with the opposite sex. A deep look into the existence of a troubled movie actress, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is one of the most complicated examples of this captured on film.

 

Overview: Frank Perry directed fourteen feature films between 1962 and his final one being released in 1987. He generally made films which were character-driven in nature, peering intensely into the psychology of his protagonists, making audiences understand situations on a more profound emotional level. His first motion picture, DAVID AND LISA (1962), was an initial example of his insightful filmmaking. An examination of mental illness, and the relationship between two young people affected by this, it was a sympathetic account of love encumbered by prejudice, specifically those of other, less sensitive, and informed, people. Next came LADYBUG LADYBUG (1963), which was centered around the effect on students, and personnel, of a school of a possible nuclear attack. It was a film that explored the Cold War theme, with further films of the era dealing with the topic such as Sidney Lumet's seminal FAIL SAFE (1964), and Stanley Kubrick's DR STRANGELOVE: OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964). 

One of Frank Perry's most beautiful, thoughtful films was THE SWIMMER (1968). With Burt Lancaster in the lead role, it was a powerful, touching story of a man whose life had faltered, the viewer sharing his many past triumphs but also, his failures. Another film dealing with young adults, vastly different in nature from DAVID AND LISA, was directed by Frank Perry. In the late 1960s LAST SUMMER (1969), made its way onto cinema screens. An envelope-pushing, compelling story of three teenagers, two men and one woman, playing love games on a lush island, their idyll disrupted by a young woman who changes the dynamics of this threesome, was notable for earning an 'X' rating for its rape sequence. Cuts were made to downgrade its classification to an 'R' rating, but it remained a powerful and thought-provoking film. A career-changing movie for actors Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison, Richard Thomas and Catherine Burns, its uncompromising presentation immeasurably raised the director's profile. This, and many of the movies Frank Perry made in this era were in collaboration with wife Eleanor before their divorce in 1971, but they made one more together which was notable in film history.

DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE (1970), told the story of a woman in a destructive relationship who embarks on an affair with a writer. As with DAVID AND LISA and LAST SUMMER, it was an up-close look at a situation which could actually occur in real life, drawing acclaim for its director and writers but also, actress Carrie Snodgress in the lead role, and Richard Benjamin as her errant husband. In one of his first movies without Eleanor Perry, RANCHO DELUXE (1975), was not a high point for Mr Perry. The story of two cattle rustlers in Montana suffered from a lackadaisical script and unemotional presentation, but some good performances could not save it. The remainder of Mr Perry's output was varied, ranging from the controversial MOMMIE DEAREST (1981), based upon Christina Crawford's book about her problematic relationship with adopted mother, actress Joan Crawford, to Mr Perry's final film, HELLO AGAIN (1987), a comedy-fantasy of a woman who dies, but is reincarnated by her sister. PLAY IT AS IT LAYS was Frank Perry's eighth film, and a sound, if overwrought, picture.

With PLAY IT AS IT LAYS, Frank Perry has made a challenging movie experience for viewers. It is the story of a film actress, depicting the collision of her professional, and personal lives, which lead her to mental illness. The director closely follows the trials and travails of his protagonist Maria, her shaky relationships with men, and clearly explains the reasons she becomes ill. The movie is the less-sweeping, more intense version of THE SWIMMER, showing the lead character's personal downward spiral. This movie had a beauty, and philosophy in its structure which is missing from PLAY IT AS IT LAYS, which has a negative tinge about it. In addition, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is also much less positive in tone than DAVID AND LISA, with no romantic ideals, or happy endings present. In this way, it could be seen as reflecting the rawness of life rather than an aspirational view. PLAY IT AS IT LAYS, though, is the cinematic personification of the double-edged sword. On the one hand, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is daring in its scope with its cut and dry presentation, on the other hand, this is one of the things which make it hard to watch.

In examining the relentlessly tortured life of Maria, Frank Perry has juxtaposed long scenes with short ones which function in an informative manner to highlight her unsettled life. This does work to a degree, but it can become jarring over the film's running time to witness the range of different sound effects which often introduce new scenes. The intention may have been artistic, to shock the audience to maintain attention on Maria's life, but it has the opposite effect in many cases. Aside from this, and in an associated way, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is presented in a bloodless, apathetic manner. Despite convincing performances, the overall lack of tangible emotion works against the movie. Not having relatable emotions played out during the course of the film does pigeonhole the characters, making them seem more like pawns in the full scope of things. Identification with the plight of Maria, and those with whom she comes into contact, is more on the level of curiosity than real involvement. While the movie may be watchable as a whole, it is more on the basis of the performances holding it together than what occurs to the characters. An original but exacting movie, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is not one of Frank Perry's best achievements in looking over his oeuvre.

Acting: PLAY IT AS IT LAYS contains fine acting from a quartet of performers. In the lead role of Maria, Tuesday Weld is in one of her best screen performances. An engaging actress with a quivering voice, and steely presence, here does excellent work as the troubled actress. As B.Z., Maria's film director, Anthony Perkins is likewise in one of his formidable acting interpretations. An actor who after PYSCHO seemed to be typecast in sociopathic roles, in the film melds well with Tuesday Weld, feeding off each other, which is one of the picture's best assets. Maria's husband Carter is likewise given thorough treatment by Adam Roarke. While many times playing villains and bikers on screen, here Mr Roarke has the opportunity to display his more complex, passionate side as Carter. The last acting of note was by Roger Ewing as Nelson, B.Z.'s lover. A tall, blonde actor with a relaxed, humorous charm, he makes his presence felt in a short scene at the beach house. Unfortunately, this was Mr Ewing's final film role, and it would have been interesting to have seen more of Nelson, given his strong, inimitable aura.

Soundtrack: One of the distinguishing features of PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is its lack of a musical soundtrack. There is no music played during either the opening or closing credits, the visuals stand alone in this respect. There are some isolated uses of diegetic music, such as Maria's car ride with Johnny Waters, but these are few and far between. Voice-overs by Maria are one of the film's main non-diegetic features where she expands upon her life for the viewer. The overall effect of a dearth of musical accompaniment, though, is one of starkness, reflecting the movie's somber, serious tone.

Mise-en-scene: There is a careful use of locales within the narrative which lend PLAY IT AS IT LAYS authenticity. The movie vividly paints Maria's life as one of revealing contrasts. From her calming beach house, riding in the sportscar, incoherent by the side of the road, to her movie location shooting in the rugged Mojave Desert, to name but a few examples, one can readily discern the tumultuous life of Maria on a subtle, non-verbal plane.

Notable Acting Performances: Tuesday Weld, Anthony Perkins, Adam Roarke, Roger Ewing.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, adult themes.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page

LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR (1977)

Title: LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR

Year of Release: 1977

Director: Richard Brooks

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A sign language teacher for deaf children has a contrary nightlife of sexuality and drugs which leads to her downfall.

Within a film history context: Character studies which feature a female character indulging in promiscuous sexual behaviour have been spotlighted many times in cinema history. One of the first was the theatrical, moralistic classic MADAME X. Filmed for the first time on American shores in 1916, it was remade many times in 1920, 1929, 1937 and, the most glamorous version being David Lowell Rich's in 1966. Depicting a woman's rise and fall from grace into despair and poverty, it shared a cautionary tone that later films also possessed. Movies in the 1930s also depicted female sexual promiscuity in a similar manner, some released before the American Hays Code for films had fully come into effect.

George Fitzmaurice's STRANGERS MAY KISS (1931) had Norma Shearer as a woman electing to live with her lover despite disapproval from friends. BABY FACE (1933), directed by Alfred Green, was another racy drama racy for its day, with a woman using her feminine wiles to rise to the top of the heap at a bank by using its male employees. The Hays Code era drama OF HUMAN BONDAGE (1934), directed by John Cromwell and starring Bette Davis, was a telling exploration of a waitress who causes emotional damage to the life of a young man. Moving into the 1940s, the big budget FOREVER AMBER (1947), helmed by Otto Preminger and John M. Stahl, was the story of a young woman who uses her considerable charms to rise in society, but with the consequent loss of true love. It was controversial upon its release for the actions of its main character, and the implications of these, but was highly bowdlerized on screen in retrospect. As cinema progressed into the 1950s, increasingly daring portraits of female sexual promiscuity appeared on screen.

Dorothy Malone's role as a woman of many unspeakable passions was another excellent performance, giving Douglas Sirk's WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) spice and allure. The 1960s brought franker portrayals of promiscuity and its pitfalls examined by filmmakers. A most notable, but also successful entry in the genre was Elizabeth Taylor's Oscar-winning turn as a prostitute in Daniel Mann's BUTTERFIELD 8 (1960). Julie Christie in John Schlesinger's DARLING (1965), and Michael Sarne's JOANNA (1968) had young women of varying character in Swinging London exploring themselves, and their desires, in a more open manner than previous films. The breakdown of censorship in the US, and elsewhere in the world, had a major effect on depictions of sexuality on screen. Heretofore taboo subjects were now largely able to be presented on screen in both Hollywood, and exploitation movies. 

EMMANUELLE (1974), directed by Just Jaeckin,  was a soft-core porn film entry by a major studio that spawned many sequels and imitators. It was a young woman's initiation into sexuality in Bangkok, and a financial, if not a critical success. Unlike the other films which took a moral or emotional ground, EMMANUELLE was mainly concerned with sex, but not its consequences on people and relationships. While there were many films in the 1970s which dealt with female sexual promiscuity in a haphazard or comical manner, mainly without depth, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR greatly differed from these movies. It is possibly the most trenchant, honest examination of female sexual promiscuity ever captured on film, pulling no punches. While the movie does contain some idiosyncratic moments of fantasy and telegraphing of narrative events, these do not detract from the film's power, only giving greater access to the protagonist's state of mind. While it could be argued that LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR shares the exploitation elements of nudity and violence that lesser motion pictures of its kind possess, it utilizes these elements in a way more effective manner to illustrate its character's life, and not as shallow, tacky spectacles.

Overview: Richard Brooks had a reputation as a tough director, and this was exemplified in the choice of works he helmed on screen. A generalist, he took on varied projects over the course of his thirty-five year career, and directed twenty-four movies. He made his debut with 1950's CRISIS,  a crime drama with Cary Grant, and made notable films such as THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (1954), a romance, and 1955's acclaimed THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, an exploration of racism in a high school. He also tackled romance in THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (1958), with its Russian 1870s setting, and also the steamy melodrama CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958) with Elizabeth Taylor. More successful films followed such as ELMER GANTRY (1960), and action in THE PROFESSIONALS (1966). Mr Brooks again produced crime drama with IN COLD BLOOD (1967), and a woman's picture with wife Jean Simmons, THE HAPPY ENDING (1969). 

LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR was Mr Brooks' twenty-second film, coming at the end of his career, but also, one of his best, most distinctive motion pictures. Richard Brooks had previously directed strong female characters in many of his other movies, namely Elizabeth Taylor in both THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Jean Simmons in THE HAPPY ENDING, and Geraldine Page in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (1962). Things were no different with LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, where Mr Brooks again tackled a film with a complicated, multifaceted female protagonist, this time played by Diane Keaton.

Mr Brooks has adapted author Judith Rossner's novel to the screen, based on a true story, of a sign language teacher who has a florid nightlife, consisting of sex with strangers and drug use, but, who has a terrible end. The director has made a film which is uncompromising in the treatment of its story and characters, and to some viewers this may be a turn-off, while to others a realistic move by the director. LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR is an explicit movie in terms of its sexual content, language, and drug use by the characters. It does not hold back in these areas, with nudity often showcased in many scenes. The director, though, has utilized these features in a specific manner to vividly bring to life the life, loves, and death of Theresa Quinn. It is every bit an adult film in its intentions and delivery, not for light viewing.

The director has made definite contrasts between the lives, in the plural sense, of its protagonist Theresa. On the one hand there is her family life, with a religious father who does not agree with Theresa on the value of her 'liberation', on the other is her nightlife filled with handsome but dangerous men, drug use, and other forms of licence. There is another opposition present in the film between these incarnations, and her life as a sign language teacher. The scenes in the school, and Theresa's interest in a young girl from her class, are the most beautiful in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. They paint a portrait of a gifted young woman caught in a life which she does not fully understand, despite seeming aware of the pitfalls in some of her most lucid moments. Mr Brooks capably presents all of these without being preachy, allowing the camera to capture the characters, freely allowing the viewer to make up their minds about Theresa's life. In many times in the movie, though, and especially in the final reel, spectators are helpless to change the course of Theresa's fate.

The director has succeeded in fashioning a film that was relevant at the time of its release, especially with the sexual revolution taking place in the 1970s, and, the notoriety of being based upon a tragic real-life event. It was a harrowing and thoughtful experience when it first appeared on screen, and it has retained punch and impact many years after its release. While it is mainly remembered for the ferocity of its final scenes, this is effectively downgrading the film as a whole. These scenes have more power than any slasher exploitation movie could muster with their low intentions and presentation. LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR should also be noted for its unflinching honesty, and the director's courage in bringing it to the screen in the first place.

Acting: The acting in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR bolsters the movie to a significant degree. In the lead role of Theresa Dunn, Diane Keaton does an exceptional job in an extremely difficult role. Moving way beyond her usual genial film persona with this character, Miss Keaton makes Theresa Dunn one of the most complex female characters ever presented on celluloid; a tragic, but fascinating figure at the same time. She makes Theresa's utterly contrasting day, and night lifestyles/transformations believable and utterly compelling. Miss Keaton is ably supported by the remaining actors who also paint realistic characters in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR.

Tuesday Weld, as Theresa's older sister Katherine, does a marvellous job in the movie. Miss Weld's distinctive, squeaky voice is used to great effect here, showing her confusion with her life, being in a similar predicament to Theresa, but expressing this in a different, more comical, manner. Both of these actors are three-dimensional in their portrayals, the same applying for other actors in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. In his role as Theresa and Katherine's father, Richard Kiley shares some strong scenes with Diane Keaton, his the sole voice raising concerns about his daughter's lifestyle. Never allowing his character to become tiring for the viewer, Mr Kiley does wonders with his religious, fervent, alpha male father figure. The other male characters in the film can be examined for how different they are to Mr Dunn in the film.

Richard Gere, as Theresa's come and go lover Tony Lo Pinto, offers an energetic and eclectic performance in LOOKING FOR MR.GOODBAR. His entertainingly hyper personality brings a note of humour to the film in the most unexpected of moments. Mr Gere's electric persona makes him the perfect morally ambiguous rogue to Diane Keaton's Theresa in her most sensual, but also, sensible moments. On the other hand LeVar Burton, with a dearth of dialogue, makes an impact with his supporting character Cap Jackson, the brother of a young deaf girl Theresa teaches at her school. Using mainly his eyes and uttering only a few several sentences, Mr Burton does a fine job as the intuitive, protective Cap. Cap is the only male character in the film to see Theresa in a more giving, dignified light, without concentrating upon her sexuality, which is something the remaining male characters share as a trait.

Tom Berenger, as Theresa's final lover Gary, is the most striking male performance in the movie. It is interesting to note Mr Berenger's non-verbal cues in the film, especially at the end of the Parade scene, sulky voice, and sad pout. His body is akin to a tight elastic band swaying in the wind that will snap at any moment, and his voice suggests deep emotional scars. Mr Berenger's excellent acting informs the audience that his character is suffering deeply, and that Gary's actions at the very end, while horrific and drug-induced, are borne out of confusion with his sexuality, being both his homosexual, and heterosexual desires.

Soundtrack: The use of a saxaphone tune in the opening credits of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR suggests sensuality and illicitness, teamed with the visuals of Theresa Dunn in various adult entertainment venue locations. The tone then shifts slightly in the credits with disco music of the era, most significantly Thelma Houston's 'Don't Leave Me This Way', which add dimension, and a flavourful sense of the 1970s to the film. The film overall has music in its most quiet moments, especially when Theresa is at her most thoughtful, and in the end credits, this complementing the visuals in an apt manner.

Mise-en-scene: The outdoor location filming and sets featured in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR are well-chosen, adding an appropriate backdrop to the proceedings on screen. Many examples of the vivid nature of the mise-en-scene can be mentioned. First of all, the opening credits introduce the viewer to Theresa's nightlife in all its uninhibited glory, this repeated throughout the movie. The smoky bars that Theresa inhabits when picking up men, the gay bar she visits in a scene from the film, the outdoor New Year's Eve Parade with its assortment of characters in costume, to name a few, set the tone of the film in an excellent way. Theresa's small, dark apartment is akin to a hell's den, with its sparse furniture, and generally unkempt nature. Aside from these, the film has utilized its sets, and lighting, to make subtle comments about the central character and her lifestyle.

The nighttime scenes of Theresa trolling bars, visiting red-light districts and afore-mentioned areas, can be contrasted with the sequences of Theresa during the daytime hours. The scenes in the school are well-lit, with copious light entering through the windows of the classroom. There is the inference that Theresa is pure during the day, and in her element. This is where she also displays compassion to others, one of the film's most powerful points. Even the scenes in the black neighborhood are better illuminated than the nighttime scenes, where Theresa is still 'in the light', and fighting for her young black student. Production design is an excellent feature of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, and one of the reasons it stays in the memory after many years.

Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, Richard Kiley, Richard Gere, LeVar Burton, Tom Berenger.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Frequent coarse language, male nudity, female nudity, adult themes, high-level violence.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page

Movie Excerpt