The Romantic Englishwoman
1975
When Elizabeth and Lewis Fielding's marriage shifts from perfect into boring, Elizabeth decides to leave her comfortable home and travel abroad. Suddenly overcome with jealousy, Lewis imagines his wife in a myriad of sordid situations. And when Elizabeth returns to England, she starts checking up on Lewis's own indiscretions. .. Read more
| Starring | Glenda Jackson, Michael Caine, Helmut Berger, Michael Lonsdale |
|---|---|
| Director | Joseph Losey |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Romantic Englishwoman
When Elizabeth and Lewis Fielding's marriage shifts from perfect into boring, Elizabeth decides to leave her comfortable home and travel abroad. Suddenly overcome with jealousy, Lewis imagines his wife in a myriad of sordid situations. And when Elizabeth returns to England, she starts checking up on Lewis's own indiscretions. Into this atmosphere of tension and mistrust comes Thomas, a young German hustler, whom Elizabeth met in Baden-Baden. As a perverse experiment, Lewis decides to take Thomas on as a houseguest. But when his wife starts falling in love with the gigolo, Lewis realises that his plans may have backfired. Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson star as the Fieldings in this ambiguous melodrama with Helmet Berger as the young house guest. From Thomas Wiseman's novel.
| Starring | Glenda Jackson, Michael Caine, Helmut Berger, Michael Lonsdale, Beatrice Romand, Kate Nelligan, Nathalie Delon |
|---|---|
| Director | Joseph Losey |
| Studio | SHOWBOX MEDIA |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 51 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 09 Oct 2006 Production year: 1975 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Show-business hack Thomas Wiseman wrote the preposterous novel on which this is based, and here he tries to make sense of it with the help of co-scriptwriter Tom Stoppard, director Joseph Losey, and actors Glenda Jackson, Michael Caine and Helmut Berger. They don't succeed. Jackson goes on an emotional bender with drug-dealer Berger at Baden-Baden, and husband Caine amazingly invites him to their English country home. The result is high-falutin', puddle-shallow soap opera giving itself airs.
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Almost as ambiguous as Last Year in Marienbad, this annoying film wastes good actors in a script which hovers uncertainly between fantasy, melodrama and reality, intending one supposes to make humourless and obvious comparisons between romance and
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Most helpful member's review
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Watchable.
Joseph Losey did some marvellous work, but this long rambling piece was not amongst his best. It's watchable though, because of its intriguing secretive winding Stoppardish script and the charismatic acting of the young Glenda Jackson and the charismatic posturing of the handsome young Helmut Berger. (Young Michael Caine is unfortunately largely wooden in his role.) But at the end of the day this film is no great shakes, and it has no powerful message or effect. It's merely a somewhat interesting yarn . . . and for me, a disappointment.
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Most recent members' review
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How the rich used to live
This is a throwback to films of an earlier era. Interesting to see Glenda Jackson before she became a left wing parliamentarian playing a wife who has everything seeking more out of life. Michael Caine plays a jealous husband much the same as he always does. Even in those days it is puzzling to think that the novelist he plays could have amassed so many of the trappings of wealth. Similarly one wonders how Helmut Berger who catches Jackson's attention in Baden Baden living dishonestly off his wits, partly from drugs and partly as a gigolo, could have been able to afford such expensive and well cut clothes. Glamorous locations make this a pretty film to watch even if credibility is stretched.
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The Romantic Englishwoman
When Elizabeth and Lewis Fielding's marriage shifts from perfect into boring, Elizabeth decides to leave her comfortable home and travel abroad. Suddenly overcome with jealousy, Lewis imagines his wife in a myriad of sordid situations. And when Elizabeth returns to England, she starts checking up ...
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