Poor week for films

Press, 6 March 1978, Page 10

Poor week for films

S e ni i-Tough, Regent, R 18; You Light Up My Life, Westend, GY; Catherine and Co., Odeon, RlB. For those who have already seen “Annie Hall,” “Star Wars” and “Solo” — al! films worth seeing — the choice of first-releases this week is poor. Western fans ■ might enjoy “The Stranger and the Gunfighter” (Carlton, GA(. The advertisements for “Semi-Tough” are right for once when they describe it as “semi-hilarious’’ because although it is supposed to be a comedy only rarely does it provoke more than a snicker. Part of the fault lies with the two “superstars” in the cast — Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson — be.cause neiher seem able to project heir lines and much of the dialogue, especially in the rarly part of the film, is mintelligible. Jill Clayburgh does speak dearly but it doesn’t help when you can hear only half if the conversation. Reynolds and Xristofferson are members ■f an American professional ootball team but although here is plentv of gridiron ctron the one time when '{riStofferson is seen to ■andle the ball he fumbles it iadly. So much for his credbility as an athlete. His acting prowess is of a similar calibre but the script requires him to do little more

.than smile, shrug or utteri; (three or four words. ■ Reynolds does a little bet-i ! i ter and delivers his semi- : - funn.y lines well enough butp ’ in general they come across] - as a pair of no-hopers. One: s of the few bright spots in a] si dull film is the acting of I s] Robert Preston as the rich] rjand eccentric owner of the] -■ football team. Michael Rit-| |chie directed. r! Tee n-agers, especially’ teen-agers bent on a singing, t career, will identify strongly] -iwith Didi Conr in “You', -iLight Up My Life.” The film] zi is set in California and tells] jlthe story of a young girl’s: 3 efforts to make it as a], >I singer . and- songwriter in; -j spile of kindly interference: s]by her father I'Joe Silver). ] ■; Many of the scenes hover; t on the brink of soppiness], ’-and sentimentality' but the 2 i film is saved by' the coms’petent acting of Conr and : the warmth of Silver’s perJsonality. Joseph Brooks not s'only wrote, produced and f directed the film but also] composed the music, some] j of which, particularly the!' 5 title song, is very good in- ' I] deed. i-i Back to comedy with; t “Catherine and C 0.,” the, I.story of a young English-] i woman in Paris who applies t the best capitalist principles - to the oldest profession. -I Jane Birkin has the right r assets for the title role and -;the French and Italian men ji wfio play her “stockholders”

| all act competently. The I film, directed by Michel Boisrond. was made about two years ago and the standard of dubbins into English

is high. But the comedy ■comes not so much from the i language as from the quite ■ predictable sex scenes. If I they were not played for ■ laughs they would be very boring indeed. Considering ■the theme and the censor-j | ship , classification thei director has been very prudish about nudity. Bad luck! ifor the voyeurs.

CINEMA Russell Jones