Derived from the novel "Me and the Arch Kook Petulia" by John Haase, adapted by Larry Marcus, this seems at first sight like the first Nic Roeg film (he shot it beautifully, using spit on the lens in places!) but it's unmistakably the work of genius editor Antony Gibbs, who smashed up the storyline jumping back and forward in a way that is flashy, mysterious and ultimately makes the already fascinating material even more so. (OK, some of the flashback stuff is in the script, but not in the way it's done here. For example, early on Gibbs throws in a shot of a street at night which doesn't seem to link to anything but it's just one piece of the jigsaw...) Gibbs modestly won't take credit for inventing the flash forward but thinks it was the first time he'd seen it.
Fascinating glimpses of San Francisco culture, such as self-service motel with giant key!
Begins in a very quirky manner (kooky girl Julie Christie offers an affair with older doctor George C. Scott) but becomes very dark. The leads are fantastic, supported by Richard Chamberlain, Shirley Knight, Joseph Cotten, Austin Pendleton (very briefly) and The Grateful Dead, and with a haunting John Barry score.
Funny, odd, beautiful film is absolutely brilliant. It makes you want to watch it again even while you're watching it.
No comments:
Post a Comment