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Breezy

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This review refers to the DVD Widescreen Edition(Universal) of "Breezy"...

Long before there was a "Pretty Woman" there was "Breezy". She stole the heart of William Holden and will steal yours too, as this touching tale, directed by Clint Eastwood, way back in 1973, hasn't lost a bit of it's charm.

Breezy, played by Kay Lenz, doesn't know where her next meal is coming from. She hangs out on the streets, crashing at anybody's pad that will have her for the night. She's young, a free-spirit, and can only see the good in any situation thrown her way. She welcomes life with open arms, and it seems to smile down on her as well. Frank Harmon(Holden), on the other hand is a middle-aged well-to do Real Estate broker, who's heart has hardened toward the world. He lives in a beautiful home in the hills and the almighty dollar is the only thing he welcomes into his life. That is of course until fate sends Breezy to him, and he learns to open his heart once more.

Despite the age difference, Holden and Lenz(nominated for a Golden Globe for "most promising newcomer"), have a terrific on screen chemistry. Eastwood displays early on his intuitiveness for the behind the camera magic he would perform for many years to come. The beautiful California coast line plays a big part in the film as well, and looks inviting on this great DVD. The transfer of this over 30 year old film is wonderful. The film is clear, colors bright, and is presented in anamorphic widescreen(1.85:1). The sound is pretty decent in the DD2.0(Mono), there are English captions for those needing them, and subtitles in Spanish and French.

The clothes and cars used in this film may be out of fashion, but this film is one that tells a story that will never get old.

Enjoy....Laurie

If you enjoy the music from eastwod's films you make likeMusic for the Movies of Clint Eastwood

Breezy (1973)

Breezy has been a film I have known about for about sixteen years but have never seen until last week when I finally got the DVD.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film has been pretty much forgotten about over the years, not helped by the unavailability of it on home video, mainly here in the United Kingdom.
But now it's here, at last.

Eastwood, fast becoming the most popular movie star in the early seventies after the success of his Spaghetti Western trilogy (1964,'65,'66) and his roles in Dirty Harry (1971) and High Plains Drifter (1973) turned his eye to directing and directed the highly acclaimed Play Misty For Me in 1971.

For Eastwood's third directorial effort Breezy in 1973, Eastwood decided to stay behind the camera instead and the leading man duties were handed over to William Holden.
Eastwood felt he was to young to play the role of Frank Harmon, although he was 43 at the time and more than twice the age of Kay Lenz who played the role of Breezy, Lenz was only twenty. Incidentally William Holden was 55.

Filmed entirely in Los Angeles this low key effort is a story set to a May - December romance between a successful businessman Frank Harmon (Holden) and a free spirited hippy chick named Breezy (Lenz).
I can recommend the DVD to anyone interested in an often touching romantic drama with consistently well acted performances from the films two leading actors.

Here is the basic synopsis of the film.

Frank Harmon (William Holden) and Breezy (Kay Lenz) are polar opposites: he is a successful, middle-aged real estate executive disillusioned by love; she is a young, outgoing free spirit with a trusting heart. Following a chance meeting, Frank reluctantly befriends the eccentric young woman, and eventually their friendship evolves into a love affair. The relationship gives Frank a renewed outlook on life but also fills him with doubts about their age difference, and he eventually breaks it off. The painful separation from Breezy forces Frank to decide whether or not to take a risk that may give him his one true shot at happiness.

Eastwood as director has a tendency to let his actors just get on with it and do their thing and in this film William Holden and Kay Lenz really shine through.
Both actors are marvellous to watch and give truly outstanding performances.
Eastwood was proud of the film but unfortunately it did not do very well upon it's release and received harsh reviews.
One wonders if the film may have been more a success if Eastwood himself took the starring role. But personally I believe William Holden delivered a charming side to his character that I don't think Eastwood would have been capable of at the time.

Eastwood during this period was fast becoming inpatient with the way Universal were handling his movies and made one more for the studio, The Eiger Sanction (1975), before sealing a partnership with Warner Bros. that has lasted for nearly thirty years.

About the DVD.

The film is presented in an anamorphically enhanced 16:9 format in the original theatrical ratio of 1.85:1. The picture looks quite superb.
The sound is delivered in 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono which is just fine for this type of film and sounds good for it's age.
The only down side to this DVD is the lack of any extras. No trailer, nothing except the standard menu options, scene access, language and subtitle options etc.

Notes:

Sondra Locke auditioned for the role of Breezy but was turned down. She would later go on to star in six Eastwood movies and the couple had a twelve year relationship, but that's another story.

Breezy was the first film which Clint directed but did not star.

The film cost $750,000 to make.

One of Clint Eastwood's early yet still obscure directorial efforts, "Breezy" gently and charmingly explores the nature of wisdom, which can be present in the most unusual of people and the real meaning of happiness, which is usually found in the oddest and least-expected of places, usually when one is not looking for it.

Amid the smoldering cultural wreckage of the recently-ended 1960s with its nagging remnants of the shrill "don't trust anyone over 30" crowd and the seemingly still-unbridgeable "generation gap," which had left many men and women from all age groups deeply confused, adrift and alienated, the odd and quirky relationship between the youthful, Ophelia-like Edith Alice "Breezy" Breezerman (Lenz) and the cynical, middle-aged Frank Harmon (Holden) successfully and simultaneously reveals several very simple but still frequently-ignored truths; that wisdom and insight are not necessarily the sole province of the "aged" and that a carefree, happy spontaneity isn't and shouldn't be automatically restricted to the "young." And, more subtly, we also are quietly reminded that neither wisdom nor happiness can realistically exist isolated from one another and that the bitter memories and unpleasant experiences of our own respective pasts can often tragically keep us from getting what we truly want and need the most.

Like the Italian neo-realist director Sergio Leone, in whose classic "spaghetti westerns" the eponymous "man with no name" successfully toiled in the 1960s, director Eastwood slowly and deliberately unfolds the personalities of the film's characters (warts and all) but does not self-consciously over-present or stereotype them, which adds to the power, insight and poignancy of this understated and well-produced film, topical, yes, but in its own way, timeless, one head and shoulders above such glittery, simpleminded and laughably stereotypical trash like "Pretty Woman."

Clint Eastwood's 2nd directorial effort is a gentle, pleasant surprise that probably will evoke a completely different reaction if one were to observe a strict adherence to societal norms. A 50 plus well-to-do business guy with a 19-year-old hippie drifter? Not necessarily uncommon but in this film the girl's not in it for the money and the guy's not in it for the sex. They genuinely love and cherish each other, and strangely, this is the element of controversy.

William Holden plays Frank, a cynical divorced real estate broker who lives by himself with only a series of uncommitted relationships for companionship and a mental rulebook that precludes serious involvement. He is surrounded by like-minded cynics that all want for something they have long since given up on . . . youth. Not so much in chronological terms, but more in attitude and that sense of wonder about life. Breezy is the very embodiment of that sense of wonder, and despite her 19 years, possesses a wisdom that cuts through the cynical disillusionment of Frank, who unlike what you'd expect, never makes a sexual advance toward the younger girl, even though she's very attractive and probably willing. For her part, Breezy recognized the sensitive soul that Frank has taken pains to suppress and confounds his suspicions by giving of herself to him without asking for anything in return. When he eventually gives in to his feelings, the age difference becomes irrelevant, but Breezy and Frank do not exist in a vacuum and the outside world eventually fills his head with doubt. His best friend, while being envious of the "zing " Breezy has put into Frank's life, laments thus: "Why should a young girl like that love an old fart like me? I'd be a meal ticket for her and nothing more." And even if it could be more, "where could I go with her without feeling like a child molester?" And so Frank smolders in a crisis of perception that already had been countered by Breezy in an earlier scene. "Is that how it is Frankie? Do you start believing what you see in the mirror and forget about what you feel inside? Do you stop feeling because the outside of you makes it seem foolish? Does becoming older mean feeling foolish? What's there to look forward to if you can't go on loving and being loved?" Surely this bit of wisdom transcends any distance of years between two people.

Superb film. Eastwood captures the good and bad in this romance between 50ish Frank and Breezy (18). Realistically portrays the guilt Frank feels. This one has a happy ending, so different from most similar stories.

I remember seeing this film listed in a book about Clint Eastwood and was disappointed that I could not find it at the time. While definitely offbeat, this is a pleasant, beautiful little film that many people can enjoy because it does not rely on outlandish computer generated effects or gunplay,explosions,
etc. Rather, it tells a story of relationships in varying degrees between several people: the main story being that of William Holden and Kay Lenz. One of the reasons I liked this movie was due to the utter professionalism of William Holden: his dialouge and style are very believable and Eastwood the director ( on his 3rd outing, not his 1st as had been stated by a reviewer from Virginia : Play Misty For Me and High Plains Drifter being his 1st and 2nd films respectively) manages to pull a rather likeable performance from newcomer Kay Lenz: you feel like you really would like to have her as a friend. The camera work is very nice with some beautiful outdoor/romantic shots and there is an amusing inside joke ( the couple attends a movie starring who else?) as well as a strong " fake out twist"
near the end that manages to make Mr. Holden realize what is REALLY important in life. The ending I found very refreshing and surprising/amusing. The supporting cast is fine and a scene involving his ex girlfriend is particularly powerful- it will wrench your heart. Also notable is the interesting decor of the homes and clothing styles, a favorite of many people who grew up during this time and love the earlier retro/mod look. The main song that is heard at times during the film is very hummable and you will like it. In summary, this is a small gem of a film. You can feel the intelligence behind it and just know that Eastwood was destined to do great things in directing as well as acting.
It has many things going for it and I would have to respectively disagree with the reviewer from Virginia that didn't like the film: he/she went way out of their way to malign it with a level of venom that was puzzling. See the movie. You will like it, the story and the people in it. What more do you want?

First to note -- There is no profanity, car chases, prison breaks, or mob violence in this film, so be warned. I say this since a few past reviewers came down hard on this movie because it's a dated love story. A recent reviewer, for instance, trashed the film, while rating "Borat" and "JackAss - The Movie" with 5 stars each. I question, among other things, why would that person watch a movie like this to begin with?

Yes, it's a dated love story with dated dialogue -- it was made in 1973. Yes, also, the difference in ages between Kay Lenz's and William Holden's characters would be troublesome for many, but love between their age gap and differing lifestyles is still possible. For those who simply call it a "Sugar Daddy" relationship that could never happen, I have an attractive high school friend who married a man 23 years her senior. They've now been happily married for over 20 years. It can, and does, happen.

With that said, thank you to all of you who recommended this film. I've been a fan of Kay Lenz for a very long time, but I somehow missed this one. This is, by far, my favorite film of hers. She lights up the screen from the moment she appears, and gives a truly beautiful performance. You can't help but want to know her and be loved by her. William Holden also gives an outstanding performance as a troubled man suffering from a failed marriage and puzzled by the love that a young hippie (Lenz) tries to give him.

The only flaw in the film for me was my disappointment that their time together on screen wasn't greater since their characters needed to be developed and the story needed to unfold. I was both pleased and pained by the ending since I couldn't see what happened next. For those of you who were captivated by "Somewhere in Time" or "The Notebook", as I was, "Breezy" will hold a special place in your heart. A very special gift for someone who appreciates a fine love story.

All right. it's, ahem, inter-generational love, but all the sweeter for being ultimately doomed..maybe.

Frank is burned out. He's had all the women and success he wants, and he's at the "is this all there is?" stage. Nothing touches him. He's seen it all..

And then...Breezy! This bright beautiful happy hippy chick flows into his acerbic world. He fights it. He ain't interested. He sends her away. He tries to ditch her. He knows it's wrong. But...

Kay Lenz is beautiful. And nude. Frequently. That's a heck of a fine combination all by itself, but her sunny disposition and William Holden's burnt-out sardonic adultness just strike sparks together you won't see often in a movie. Maybe not a movie to watch with your jealous aging wife, but a fine amusing bittersweet and humorous flick of an unusual love affair with two excellent stars. You won't forget Breezy..

Breezy arrived at the box office in 1973 and quietly drifted off the mainstream radar into virtual obscurity. A poorly planned, and almost non existant marketing campaign certainly didn't help matters. In fact, Universal had already delayed the release of the film for over a year because of early negative critical reaction.

An unfortunate casualty of Breezy's failure, was the film career of Kay Lenz. At only 19 years old, she was not only a beautiful young woman, but a fine actress as well. What should have been a launching pad to stardom, simply became a detour to low-budget film work, and guest starring roles on TV. While many critics seem to focus on the directing skills of Clint Eastwood, or the wonderful acting of William Holden, it's Kay Lenz who is the heart and true "star" of Breezy. She was nominated for a Golden Globe (Most Promising Newcomer - Female) for her performance.

Deceptively simple in its approach, Breezy is a wonderfully rich film about relationships and LOVE. Not just the love between two people, but a love for LIFE itself.


JM


Footnotes;


The original runtime of the film was 108 minutes. This DVD release is 106 minutes.

Breezy is often confused with 1974's "Ginger in the Morning" starring Sissy Spacek.

Fans of the TV series "LOST", might find it interesting that in season 4, the Philip K. Dick novel "Valis" is mentioned twice. Breezy figures into the storyline of that novel.

The first time I saw this show on cable, I knew I wanted to buy it. I enjoy older films. They are snapshots of the times. This one is a perfect example of that. Great movie.