Boy on a Dolphin

Tags

1950's, Adventure, Alan Ladd, Boy on a Dolphin, Clifton Webb, Jean Negulesco, Jorge Mistral, Sophia Loren

Film Title

Boy on a Dolphin

Director

Jean Negulesco

Starring

• Sophia Loren as Phaedra
• Alan Ladd as Dr. James Calder
• Clifton Webb as Victor Parmalee
• Jorge Mistral as Rhif

An imperfect adventure yarn that is sometimes packed with fun and at other times slow-moving in the extreme, Boy on a Dolphin gains agreeable points from the stirring music, luscious location work of Greece and a gorgeous Sophia Loren.

In Greece, the beautiful but poor Phaedra is a sponge diver who lives in a ramshackle windmill with her kid brother and lousy boyfriend Rhif, who is something of a lay about who promises they’ll be fine all the time but never seems to do a lot to help. For the spirited Phaedra, she just goes by each day attempting to provide for herself and those closest in any way she can. Then one day while diving off the island of Hydra, she discovers a dazzling statue of gold, depicting a boy riding a dolphin. The statue is situated at the bottom of the Aegean Sea and is thousands of years old, having been on a ship that crashed during a stormy voyage. For Phaedra, her accidental unearthing of the treasure gives her cause to use it to finally gather some money and not have her worries. Along with Rhif, she takes it to many people who could sell the statue, but two stand out the most. The two are the honest and hardworking Dr. James Calder, who works an archaeologist and the deceptive and slimy collector Victor Parmalee. Both men express interest in Phaedra’s find but for differing reasons; Calder wants the statue to put in a museum in Greece, whole Parmalee wants all the glory and money that will go with the discovery. Into this power struggle comes Phaedra, who can’t decide whether she wants the allure of money or genuine love, as she develops feelings for Calder. A race to discover the statue of the title ensues between Calder and Parmalee, that becomes ever more difficult due to Phaedra being in the middle of it all and having to choose where her loyalties lie.

On the whole, Boy on the Dolphin is a somewhat messy exercise but nonetheless has enjoyable moments and things to praise. The main problem rests with the script and the pacing which go from being exciting to dull over the course of the film. The script has the sense of adventure right, but in the parts in between, some of the material is a little superfluous and could have been cut. The same goes for the pacing that needs a fixer upper on occasion as it lurches between two extremes. Yet once the pace picks up and the cat and mouse game between the two men entangled with Phaedra commences, a good adventure yarn emerges from the flawed premise. Also on the positive side, Jean Negulesco at least makes the film stunningly shot and keeps us engaged through showing us the sheer beauty of Greece. Basked in glorious sunshine and filled with some gorgeous underwater scenes, Boy on a Dolphin stays afloat when it comes to the visual front. And the score provides the perfect romantic and dreamy backdrop of the piece with a lilting wind section and trembling guitar. There is also a sublime song that covers the aquatic opening titles that is filled with romance, intrigue and temptation.

Although her role, which was her first in the English language, doesn’t require much in the way of stretching acting muscles, the beautiful Sophia Loren makes a stunning impression with earthy sex appeal, volatility and feisty demeanor. Soaring above the flawed writing, Loren makes sultry and determined, bringing much more to the character than the script asked for. And I can’t review this film without mentioning Loren’s dazzling entrance into it. Pulling herself out of the sea after one of her many dives for sponges, she climbs onto a boat, clad in a flimsy, orange dress that accentuates her breathtaking beauty and curvaceous figure. It’s a sexy entrance for one of cinema’s most gorgeous stars. While I do think that Alan Ladd is a good actor, his role of archaeologist Calder is not his best and Ladd appears seemingly indifferent to the character. He’s not all bad here showing moments of good, but he appears to be more than a little stiff in the part. Clifton Webb fares much better at playing the oily Parmalee, who is unscrupulous and used to getting what he wants. He adds a good dose of underlying nastiness to the role that is hard to miss. Jorge Mistral does his best at making Rhif a louse who is more of a hindrance to Phaedra than a helper.

A movie that veers between thrilling adventure and boring spectacle, Boy on a Dolphin still retains something of an enjoyable factor and features the sensual Sophia Loren announcing her star appeal.

Love & Friendship

Tags

2010's, Chloë Sevigny, Emma Greenwell, James Fleet, Jane Austen, Jemma Redgrave, Justin Edwards, Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship, Morfydd Clark, Period Comedy, Stephen Fry, Tom Bennett, Whit Stillman, Xavier Samuel

Film Title

Love & Friendship

Director

Whit Stillman

Starring

• Kate Beckinsale as Lady Susan Vernon
• Chloë Sevigny as Alicia Johnson
• Xavier Samuel as Reginald DeCourcy
• Morfydd Clark as Frederica Vernon
• Emma Greenwell as Catherine Vernon
• Justin Edwards as Charles Vernon
• Tom Bennett as Sir James Martin
• James Fleet as Sir Reginald DeCourcy
• Jemma Redgrave as Lady DeCourcy
• Stephen Fry as Mr. Johnson

An impressively witty period comedy that takes a largely underrated Jane Austen tale and showcases a naughtiness that is something different from her usual stories, Love & Friendship weaves a cunning and thoroughly amusing tale of one woman’s plot to maintain her position in society, no matter what the cost. Trust me, this is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a while.

The setting is England in the 1790’s and Lady Susan Vernon is a widow. Occupying a precarious position in the class system since her late husband’s death and known for being a flirt with a bad reputation, we open with Susan leaving one home in which she has created chaos. She invites herself to stay at her in-laws; her brother-in-law Charles who is more than happy to oblige, his wife Catherine, who cottons onto Susan’s ways and her brother the dashing and much younger Reginald. Susan, though trying to lay low as rumours spread of her indiscretions, is armed with a cunning plan while at the country home to ensnare a husband for her daughter and naturally herself. She finds that young Reginald, despite his initial reservations about her, has become enamoured with her which opens up an avenue of success. For her daughter, Susan has a candidate in the shape of Sir James Martin, who has a large fortune but little intellect. Her schemes begin to take effect, aided in no small part by her trusted confidante Alicia Johnson, who helps her best friend despite knowing that she could be reprimanded and sent back to America by her husband if she doesn’t sever ties with Susan. Yet when Frederica, who is significantly nicer and more shy than her mother, runs away from school and arrives at the country house, Susan’s plans begin to go pear-shaped as her shy daughter has no inkling to marry and is instead smitten with Reginald. It seems all the spinning of webs by the crafty Lady Susan is about to get a lot more complex than intended.

Love & Friendship takes its basis from a Jane Austen novella that was published posthumously, but thought to have been written well before her more famous later work, the likes of which have been adapted countless times for movies and television. Whit Stillman effortlessly brings the not so well-known story to the screen with aplomb and vigour. His direction is unfussy yet immersive; focusing mainly on the schemes and plots of the tale rather than being overrun by period splendour and pomposity. Saying that, costume design and set decoration is stupendously done and is worthy of all the praise it should get. Thankfully, both elements of direction and decoration are supported on equally good footing, never letting one override the other and bringing out the period setting while reveling in a certain modernity to be found. One of these modern touches that was very funny was intertitles that introduced the characters and highlighted their motives, such a simple touch added a whole lot to the overall product. The ace in the pack of Love & Friendship is the script, that is as sharp as a rapier and unearths a sauciness rarely glimpsed in anything based on Austen’s material. Who knew something from the pen of Jane Austen could be so tart, cunning and cutting in the most delicious way? Well I for one loved seeing this different side to it and Stillman’s script captures the biting humour to a very excellent degree. A classical score that appears light and almost cosy acts as an ironic counterpart to Susan’s navigation and plots for those around her.

Where Love & Friendship really scores high points is in the casting and the respective performances. In the lead role of the cunning yet seriously charming Lady Susan, Kate Beckinsale shines in what is her best performance to date. Beckinsale just has such zeal and devilish delight in the part that it’s hard to resist. The character of Lady Susan has no really redeeming features as she schemes away and has no moral compass; but there is something so likable about her that we fall under the spell of her, much like every other character does. Delivering pithy put downs, breaking hearts or explaining away any blame put on her, Kate Beckinsale fits the part of the manipulative Susan like a glove with her kittenish glee and delightful sauciness. Chloë Sevigny plays excellently against Beckinsale as her confidante who bored with her life is more than willing to listen into her scandalous plans for others and the danger of it all. Possessing both the good looks and the curious temperament, Xavier Samuel is very well cast as Reginald, who falls for Lady Susan’s feminine wiles despite his better judgement. Morfydd Clark contributes a gentle and sweet demeanor to the part of Frederica, who has no intention of following her mother’s manipulations in getting a husband. As the bemused in-laws of Lady Susan, Emma Greenwell as the suspicious wife and Justin Edwards as her husband that lets everything run its course are suitably great in their parts. Stealing the scene whenever he is present is Tom Bennett as the rich James Martin, whose financial wealth is not matched by his simple outlook and lack of knowledge. He gets to say so many hysterical lines that you can’t help but laugh yet feel a bit of sympathy for the character, due in no small part because of Bennett’s winning comic timing. James Fleet and Jemma Redgrave in the supporting roles of Reginald and Catherine’s parents have a ball with what they are given and there is a funny cameo from Stephen Fry as Alicia’s older, disapproving husband.

Filled with fine acting, quick pacing and amusing exchanges, Love & Friendship is a film that is impossible to not be charmed and won over by. I genuinely cannot remember having so much fun watching a film in the cinema of late like I did when watching the witty Love & Friendship.