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Simply Perfect

Just so...so bad

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Julie Christie's Oscar-winning motion picture, at the helm of UK's soon-to-be Academy winning director John Schlesinger (for MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969), anchored by two top-billing male co- stars Bogarde and Harvey, explores a young woman's uncertainty of pursuing her happiness, therefore comes into being a remarkable expedition and a vigorously incisive piece of work. "Being happy should be the easiest thing in the world, isn't it?", the central line underlies the tenor of the film, which starts as a commonplace love affair, after a struggle of hunger for fame and dismay of boredom, the girl eventually becomes the wife of a Italian prince, but the lush life doesn't complete her emptiness inside, her rueful aftermath has been a role model example of modern relationship-disillusion symptom. The original score from John Dankworth is additionally excellent, balances the roller-coaster adventures and is captivating alongside Christie's gallant performance, who is the sole nucleus of the film and consistently sterling in every scene and literally she is in every scene, Bogarde and Harvey are two prisms reflecting two vastly different desirability of men, both mesmerizing and realistic (as my first encounter with Laurence Harvey, his amoral womanizer representative is so dazzling and charismatic). There is a self-destruction undercurrent influences the entire film, maybe the specie of woman is notable for her instability and bewilderment of what her wants, while men are more predominantly clear about their limitations and their preys, which sounds plausible for me, and one cannot help feeling sympathy towards our leading lady's quandary, which could be tons of women peers' pipe dream, a princess in Italy, what a killing temptation, plus José Luis de Vilallonga is a decent and young-looking widower in the film, so one might wonder how many white flags will he receive facing all the female viewers, who might grudgingly slam Christie's fickle nature, but the truth is one cannot literally live in other person's shoes, especially if she is a woman. So the film renders us a marvelous answer, she has only herself to thank for her predicament.

This was supposed to be the satire on the movers and shakers of the sixties. Sorry I thought it was rubbish when it was released, and in 2010 it still is terrible. An ambitious model in the swinging sixties sleeps her way to the top - yes, it's Evita in the UK! It too self consciously tries to be a Britflick aping of Antonioni (La Notte and Blow UP) and Fellini (La Dolce Vita and 8 and a half) and it does not work - witness the dreadfully arch 'cinema verite' sequence and the partner-swapping orgy scenes. Really the continentals do that sort of thing much much better - even the actors look embarrassed!Satire? Um the best scenes are actually a satire on British society in the fifties, eg the scene in the casino is actually the writer having a go at the Princess Margaret/Billy Wallace Soho set showing old decrepit aristos clinging to privilege after the War. But nowhere does the movie really have a go at the hypocrisy surrounding the MacMillan/Wilson years - it merely portrays a few louche unbelievable characters indulging in sexual freedom away from the gaze of society as a whole. Let's face it Julie Christie's character is really an upper middle class aspirant trying to get ahead to join the beastly aristos. The direction and writing is plodding - Raphael was much better in 'Nothing But The Best.' The acting is fine apart from Julie Christie (who wears a lot of nice clothes) who just pouts a lot and keeps telling us she is bored in a very actressy sort of way. I thought then she was not much of an actress, and 'Doctor Zhivago' confirmed it. Her looks got the critics, who of course inhabited the world portrayed on screen so though it was a marvellous expose, dahling! When in fact the film is a bore with nothing really to claim your attention either from an historical point of view or interest in the characters (we got very early on the Laurence Harvey was Mephostophiles so why keep it going for so long?) Of course, you may ask, why do we not see 'Darling' on our TV screens? Well, it is a story about a vacuous, scheming, bed hopping, blonde clothes horse, who ends up trapped in a loveless marriage where her husband has other women, and is called Princess Diana! Um, perhaps, the film was a prescient look into the future of the celebrity culture!

Diana Scott (Julie Christie) has just made the cover of "Ideal Woman" magazine. In a flashback, she recalls her rise to fame and fortune, beginning as a 20-year old would-be model in swinging-sixties London. She was beautiful, hip, and full of life, gliding easily through affairs and enjoying the good life.Christie was so young and beautiful in this movie! Even with the black and white photography, she's luminous, dynamic, and, yes, darling. In her Oscar-winning role, she climbs the social ladder using Dirk Bogarde and Lawrence Harvey as two of her stepping stones; they're both excellent.The movie is such a product of it's time (1965) and puts so much emphasis on her trendy wardrobe that it seemed a bit dated to me. Also, there were a few scenes when I thought she hammed it up too much, but still I enjoyed her and the movie and recommend it.

Darling is one of those films from the 1960s that are so good, that requires multiple viewing.Like The Great Escape, Breakfast at Tiffanys,Lawrence of Arabia everything just comes together to create a perfect package. At the heart of this film is Julie Christie, who plays Diana Scott, a model in Swinging Sixties London.Diana is determined to find fame and fortune, and she will use sex to assist her if necessary.It is very difficult to make a lead character compelling even though she is selfish, immature and shallow. Watch the look on her face when he thinks TV journalist Robert Gold(Dirk Bogarde)owns a flash sports car.Quite early on, we are tipped off that this is a shallow woman. Robert falls in love with her, and they set up house together.Unfortunately for him,fidelity is not on the cards.Soon Diana spots greater opportunities with caddish Miles Brand played to perfection by Laurence Harvey.The film is daring by touching on previously taboo subjects like adultery, abortion and homosexuality.It also hints at the rise of the model as a celebrity.Director John Schlessinger is clearly satirising the rich,the famous and the vacuous.My favourite scene is the party scene in Paris,when Diana pretends to be Miles.Vicious but very funny!Julie Christie richly deserved her Oscar for Best Actress for this performance.