Customer Reviews

Miss Mary [VHS]

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

 

 

I saw this movie about fifteen years ago and have been waiting for the DVD release since then. I read some of the other reviewers' opinions, and totally disagree with them. Then again, I would not expect somebody unfamiliar with the history of South America, and Argentina in particular, to fully understand, let alone appreciate this movie. This is not so much a story about an English nanny, but a depiction of Argentinian society between the two Great Wars and the social changes that were gradually creeping on it, as seen through the eyes of the landed aristocracy, in turn interpreted by a national of another declining society (imperialistic Britain). I will grant that Ms. Christie is not up to her usual high standard, but I have to attribute that to the fact that she probably did not fully grasp the context in which the script was placed, and was not able to provide the nuanced performance it required. Still, she builds a convincing character.

As a playwright and director, there are times when I truly believe actors can't read. This is Ms. Christie's time. This script is terrible and the direction rises to that particular occasion. For a actor who has a such limited body of work, you'd think Ms. Christie would have been a tad "choosier". Giving her the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the money was good and the free trip to Argentina seduced her. What a waste!

Now, for the rest of the film. Oh, forget it. It stinks; and, more obnoxious and cloying child actors haven't graced the sceen since Jane Withers grew up.

If you've nothing to do, just drag out "Darling" and watch Ms. Christie at her very best and most beautiful. Schlesinger's 1965 film was pure genius!

This film, also known as "Erotic Argentina" (thankfully not in the American release)is set in pre-war Buenos Aries during Peron's rule. Julie Christie plays an English governess hired to watch over the children of a rich family, slavishly beholden to tradition as political strife creeps nearer and nearer. Christie's Miss Mary is a reserved woman who slowly lets her defenses down, eventually resulting a professional lapse that causes not only the loss of her position but her relationship with the children she has grown close to. This is meant to be a tragic tale, but it's clumsily handled. The entire film is slow and fairly uninvolving, the story would have worked better as a novel or short story. On the screen, it's soft looking and pretty, but without much heart. Christie is overly restrained here, and her unusually dark hair is almost a distraction. There's not much to see in this one, recommended only for die hard Christie fans. I'm one of those, but I only watched this once.