Customer Reviews

Girl With Green Eyes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

GIRL WITH GREEN EYES is a Woodfall film, one of those slice-of-life-in-the-UK pictures produced by Tony Richardson in the 60's, Britain's answer to the French New Wave. All are generally worthwhile views; this one is marvelous, with wonderful dialogue by Edna O'Brien from her novel, THE LONELY GIRL. Frequently laugh-out-loud funny and also quietly touching, not the easiest combination to pull off, but managed beautifully here. Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave are simple and simply perfect as the country girls trying to make a go of life in Dublin, while Peter Finch strikes the proper note of bruised, reluctant romanticism as the object of Rita's pursuit. Almost forty years old, GIRL's as fresh as paint, could have been made yesterday. Tonic, rich and rewarding.

This is a very stylish story of a young Irish girl's affair with an older man. Part sad, part whimsical, and all around very refreshing, the film winds up being more light and fun than dark and tragic, as one might expect.

The film is wonderfully photographed in glorious black and white, both in a documentary format and a dash of a somewhat "New Wave" style. It's an interesting mixture, anyway. In fact, the entire film appears to have been shot on location in Dublin and the surrounding countryside, lending even further creditbility to the documentray styling.

The well-written dialogue is full of engaging double-meanings, and may remind one of "The Prisoner", as the lines can be both cryptic, yet very deep and telling. The actors all deliver, too.

The film is very much a product of its time, and captures the feeling of what it must have been like to be a youth in 1963 Dublin. It very much conveys the atmosphere of a "slice of life" during the era, as the young girl comes of age.

This is a little-known gem that aspiring film students may find inspirational. Lynn Redgrave's debut film.

This movie about a young farm girl and a middle aged writer who's separated from his wife, who meet, meet again and from then on begin to have an afair is interesting.
Rita Tushingham is great. She has very romantic feelings for the mysterious, sophisticated writer and gets gloomier and gloomier throughout the picture.
Peter Finch plays the man whose feelings are not so tender as the young girl and seems to be confused and a little disturbed at times by her passionate feelings.
Four stars because it can get boring and sad at times

London's Time Out film guide has remarked that although many of the early sixties British kitchen sink dramas don't hold up well, this little flick has stood the test of time. It concerns a young girl who falls for someone who turns out to be unsuitable for her. It's a fairly common theme, but the filmmakers carefull attention to detail makes it seem fresh. Rita Tushingham never hits a wrong note as the title character,a collen struggling to become an adult with all the gauchness of youth. Lynn Redgrave is also good as her somewhat freespirited best friend. Peter Finch's performance is rather problamantic. He is somewhat remote and detached-but perhaps that's what the script called for. and although he lets the girl down in the end, he is not presented as a villian. He even warns the girl at the begenning that their affair probally won't work as they are so diifferent. But as so often in love affairs, Tushingham has to learn the hard way. A very refreshing performance.

Girl with Green Eyes is very much a part of its era, a decade when mores, sexual and other, were rapidly changing. Kate Brady is a 20-ish farm lass just come to big city Dublin, eager for life and a first taste of love. Gawky as a colt, her greatest wish is to experience grand passion, hopefully in a "sophisticated" love affair. Enter Eugene, nearly twice her age, who finds Kate charming but hopelessly naive. Winsome, shy Kate finds ways of beguiling her way into his affections, and although Eugene makes no secret of intending nothing permanent, to Kate, this budding relationship means everything.

Rita Tushingham as Kate is natural and charming, and a very young Lynn Redgrave, in her first role, provides much needed splashes of humor in her roommate role. The scenes in which Kate's father bulls his way into a resuce attempt are priceless. Peter Finch as Eugene is convincingly worldy and jaded.

Though set in the swinging sixties, the themes of this film are timeless.

I saw this first in 1975 and still remember the haunting scenes with Rita Tushingham. She plays sensitively yet without maudlin excess as the young single woman pregnant with her Jamaican boyfriend's baby, supported by her local friends including a Gay neighbor. An honest view of life in 60's Manchester,as well as the film debut of an excellent actress.

I did not like this movie because it was very dull. All it was was kissing, books and dramatic music. I like some black and white movies but not this one. Peter finch is better in kidnapped! by walt disney.