|
|
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
GB - 1953 - 86m - col Genevieve- |
|||||||||||||
Two
friendly rivals engage in a race on the way back from the Brighton veteran
car rally. One of those happy films in which for no very good or expected
reason a number of modest elements merge smoothly to create an aura of
high style and memorable moments. A charmingly witty script, carefully
pointed direction, attractive actors and locations, an atmosphere of light-hearted
British sex and a lively harmonica theme turned it, after a slowish start,
into one of Britain's biggest commercial hits and most fondly remembered
comedies. |
|||||||||||||
| Everyone
seems to remember this gentle comedy- about two couples entering the London
to Brighton London car race (sic), and indulging in friendly rivalry - with
great affection.But with exception of the delectable Kay Kendall, gorgeously
belting out jazz on the trumpet, it just isn't funny any more; and Larry
Adler's whinning harmonica score only makes things worse. TIME OUT FILM GUIDE, 1998 |
|||||||||||||
| For
anyone who travels the congested roads of Britain these days the utterly
delightful Genevieve will provoke a wistful, nostalgic sigh of regret for
times gone by when there were no motorways, traffic jams were almost non-existent
and friendly police motorcyclists riding classic Nortons (without helmets)
cheerfully let people driving vintage cars race each other along country
lanes. Even in 1953, Henry Cornelius’ gentle comedy must have seemed
pleasingly old-fashioned, concerned as it is with the antics of two obsessive
enthusiasts on the annual London to Brighton classic car rally. The principal
quartet could hardly be bettered: though John Gregson is something of a
cold fish as Genevieve’s proud owner, the radiant warmth of Dinah
Sheridan as his long-suffering wife more than compensates. Kenneth More
is ideally cast in the role of boastful rival enthusiast and Kay Kendall
has possibly the best comic moment of all when she astonishes everyone with
her drunken trumpet playing. Cornelius also directed Ealing’s Passport to Pimlico, so his sure eye for gently mocking and celebrating British eccentricities is never in doubt. The screenplay by (American writer) William Rose now seems like an elegy to a way of life long disappeared: the pivotal moment when Gregson stops to humour a passing old buffer about his love of classic cars comes from a vanished era of politeness before road rage; as does the priceless exchange between hotel owner Joyce Grenfell and her aged resident: "No one’s ever complained before", says the mystified Grenfell after Gregson and Sheridan moan about the facilities, "Are they Americans?" asks the old lady, unable to conceive that anyone British could say such things. Genevieve is both a wonderful period comedy and a nostalgic portrait of England the way it used to be. On
the DVD: the "Special Edition" version of Genevieve has a decent
new documentary with reminiscences from Dinah Sheridan (still radiant),
the director of photography and the film’s editor, who talk about
the challenges of filming on location. Most treasurable of all, though,
is legendary harmonica player Larry Adler, who remembers his distinctive
score with much fondness and is not at all embittered by his Hollywood
blacklisting, which meant he was denied an Academy Award nomination. There’s
also a short piece on some of the locations used (which for economic reasons
were mostly in the lanes around Pinewood studios), cast biographies and
a gallery of stills. The 4:3 ratio colour picture looks pretty good for
its age and the mono sound is adequate. |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
