|
|
Rating:  - NOBODY YOU MEET COULD EVER SEE THE LONELINESS THERE...INSIDE YOU, HEY THERE, GEORGY GIRL
At the beginning of this film, when the unforgettable theme song (sung by the great group "The Seekers") and we see Lynn Redgrave as Georgy walking down the street, one knows we are in for a hilarious ride. She's just wonderful in the title role. Ably abetted by a wonderful supporting cast the film moves along briskly, thanks to an intelligently paced direction and there are relatively few lulls. However, the DVD transfer is not that good. The video aspect is pale and dull. The audio is fine. There is scene selection and subtitles. The only other extra is a usless preview trailer of other modern movies being released on DVD. That was a waste of money. Given the lack of extras and the "fair" quality of the DVD transfer this DVD is not worth the price of $24.99 to $29.99 that it is going for. The movie itself is great fun but I expected a decent transfer (not a pale one) and for the price I paid for it, we should have been given a commentary by Lynn Redgrave or at the very least, the theatrical trailer of the film. That is why I give the DVD 3 stars.....the movie merits 4 stars.
Rating:  - Delightful memento of 1960s Swinging London... Acceptable B&W transfer from Sony
This is a film which is better known for its title song than for the movie itself. Which is a little unfair because the film is quite delightful in its own quirky 60-ish fairytale way. Georgy, played by a young Lynn Redgrave is a plain, homely British girl living in the swinging London of the 60s. Her roommate, the "sensational" Meredith, played by an equally young and very sexy Charlotte Rampling, is intent on enjoying life to the fullest. While Meredith goes out partying every night, with or without her semi-steady boyfriend (Alan Bates), poor dowdy Georgy remains at home. When Meredith gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby, Georgy is exhilarated. Exhibiting maternal intincts sorely lacking in her fun-loving friend, she takes it upon herself to care for the baby while the real mother and father disappear back into the swinging single life. Acknowledging the fact that she wants to be a mother more than a trophy wife, and accepting her lack of looks in a society that values physical beauty above all else, she accepts the proposal of marriage from her father's elderly millionaire boss (James Mason). It is a fairytale tinged with the sadness of compromises which most of us would be all too familiar with in real life, but as the song goes in the final scene, "at least he's a millionaire". If you're familiar with the title song, watching the movie will bring an added poignancy to the words. A little sad at times but uplifting overall, this is a treasure from a bygone era.
The movie was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Actress, Supporting Actor, Cinematography and Best Song but won none, not even for its famous title song. "Georgy Girl" sung by The Seekers, lost out to John Barry's "Born Free" but has remained a classic ever since.
Sony/Columbia have issued a barebones DVD with the film transferred in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio (anamorphic). This is obviously not the film's original theatrical aspect ratio simply because no films were shot in this ratio at that time. The original presentation was either 1.66:1 or 1.85:1 and it has been cropped so as to make a perfect fit for the new widescreen TV format. For years we have had to endure widescreen movies being panned-&-scanned to fit standard TV screens, now we have to endure movies being cropped to fit the new 16:9 widescreen TVs. When will these studio executives learn to leave viewers in peace to watch movies in their original presentation? That said, the visual composition of this transfer is not unduly harmed. This film was originally shot in Black and White, and it is presented that way on DVD, not in color as stated at Amazon's website. The picture looks fairly good with a certain amount of speckling on the source print but otherwise no overt print damage. Greyscale is fairly well rendered. Blacks are rich and deep but at the expense of shadow detail in darker portions of the image. Dark scenes look too dark. Sound is in the original 2.0 mono with optional English and Japanese subtitles. The music sounds just fine on this transfer. Aside from the trailer, there are no other extras.
Rating: - Quirky, Quirky, Quirky!
This movie is no stereotypic story of the "ugly duckling" being made over so she can get a boyfriend. The movie is actually quirky beyond words. Georgy herself is quirky beyond words. There are loads of laughs, as well as one of the most fabulous theme songs from the 1960's by the Seekers. Make sure you listen to the lyrics of the song at the end; they weren't on the released Seeker's hits; and they are bound to make you laugh!
Rating:  - Charmer from Swinging Sixties
This account of a lovable frump who finds love for the first time, albeit messily, is an absolute winner. I can't think of enough superlatives to describe how good Lynn Redgrave is in the title role. How she didn't win the Oscar in 1966(Liz Taylor won for "Virginia Woolf") is beyond me. Redgrave just grabs on your heartstrings and doesn't let go. There is an excellent supporting cast on hand here with James Mason sympathetic as Georgy's wealthy benefactor would-be-lover, Charlotte Rampling as her cold-hearted flatmate, and Alan Bates as her flatmate's husband. This film was made in a period when social mores were changing over in the U.K. and Georgy's plight here is following her heart in light of these changes. That said this film holds up well and does not seem dated. Love is messy and that has always been universal.
Rating: - Can't Get that Theme song Out of My Head!
In the mid 1960's "Swingin' London" became the cultural capitol of the western world. From every radio, you could hear British music groups like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who. Young women started wearing their skirts very short, while their male counterparts wore slick, 'Mod' suits with skinny ties. Young people were starting to experiment with illegal, recreational drugs and the rules of sexual behavior were being tested and broken down. The 'Baby Boomers' were coming of age and they felt stifled and ready to burst from the conservative 1950's attitudes of the generation, that came before them. It is in this time and setting of cultural upheaval, that the wonderful 1966 comedy/drama "Georgy Girl" takes place. In the film we meet Georgy (Lynn Redgrave) an overweight and rather ungainly young women, who's looks and sensibilities just don't seem to fit in with the fashionable culture of the time. Her own father (Bill Owen) tells his employer (James Mason) that "she looks like a lorrie (truck) driver". Georgy has very little self-esteem for herself, yet shows a great zest for life. She makes a living as a preschool teacher and lives in a small flat with her roomate, Meredith. Meredith (Charlotte Rampling) is Georgy's opposite. She's a beautiful, party girl, who has little regard for for the feelings of others, no matter what the consequences are. Things change, when Meredith becomes pregnant. She marries the father, Jos (Alan Bates), but seems to have little love for her new husband or her pregnancy, since they both cramp her wild, party lifestyle. To say that this women dosn't have a maternal bone in her body would be a understatement. When she announces her pregnancy she declares, "well, I'm not going to get rid of this one". Once the baby is born, Meredith won't even touch it. She wants the baby adopted, before she even leaves the hospital. Georgy is heart broken by Meredith's cruel attitude and actions. Georgy becomes romantically involved with Jos, and the two attempt to raise the baby. It is within this scenario, that Georgy finds herself and learns, what she wants out of life. Director, Silvio Narizzano has created a lively, energetic film that truely 'gets' the attitudes and feelings of that time and place. Screenwriters, Margaret Forster & Peter Nichols give us a script that is both funny and moving. The film's cast is perfect! Lynne Redgrave as Georgy, gives a performance that is just a beautiful mixture of humor and pathos. Charlotte Rampling's cold, party girl, Meredith is just the ultimate, unfeeling, b_tch. You just want to slap her! Alan Bates also gives a good performance showing a young man, who's joyful veneer hides an inability to take any sort of responsibility. A special mention should also be made for James Mason's fine turn as an older, wealthy man, who has the 'Hots' for Georgy and ultimately shows how much he cares for her. Finally I want to mention Cinematographer, Kenneth Higgins' brilliant, B&W photography, that gives the film an almost documentary-like, 'you are there' feeling and immediacy. This is a wonderfully, funny, moving film. Highly recommended!
|
|