CinemaSerf

Thanks to the timely intercession of a television man (John Cleese), journalist “Sally” (Barbara Ferris) is introduced to temperamental maestro “Zelter” (Oskar Werner) from whom she manages to to elicit a few too many home truths which she gets published. Embarrassed a little and encouraged by his agent to take a break whilst the dust (and litigation) settles, he returns to his stately home where his wife (Virginia Maskell) and young family enjoy a comfortable existence. What’s clear from the start is that this man sees no real reason to keep it in his trousers, and so a repeat meeting with the impressionable young “Sally” sets off what becomes a rather dull and repetitive series of adventures for a man whose talents with the baton in his hand are second only to his determination to run roughshod over all the people he loves, or love him, with the one between his legs. Indeed, even his about to be divorced friend “Larry” (Donald Sutherland) warns him of the short-sightedness of his ways but this man cannot learn from his increasingly damaging peccadilloes. Meantime, “Sally”begins becomes torn between her new feelings for this man and those for his predecessor. Though there is some fine detail to the production, and the musical score that accompanies this effortlessly combines the original George Delerue music with some beautifully orchestrated Beethoven, Brahms and Dvorák, the rest of this is a rather sterile and impersonal tale of a man who has precious little likeable about him. I kept seeing David Hemmings where Werner stood and as the drama unfolded I felt more and more disinterested in the story or it’s characters. Except, that is, for the poor wife whose befuddlement at his treatment of not just her but his doting brood was delicately and patiently presented by an on-form Maskell who brought some much needed dignity to the otherwise pretty seamy proceedings. I suppose it’s a poignant character study of an impassioned man whose work took over his life and whose resultant addictions excused - in his mind - all the excesses and thoughtlessness of his behaviour, but when you don’t care you don’t care.