gridoon2024 Review of The Driver's Seat

The Driver's Seat (1974)

Experimental Elizabeth Taylor vehicle is both fascinating and boring

[5/10 · 20 January 2013]

It's fascinating, because it's quite unexpected to find one of Hollywood's greatest female stars - an actress who defines "star" - not just peripherally involved, but leading such a shoddy production (even the location filming in Italy feels cheap, plus there seems to be a lot of dubbing). And it's boring, because there are many long, pointless sequences which add nothing to our understanding of this woman's actions. I did like the use of non-linear narrative - it helps you stay with the picture expecting (or hoping) that a major event awaits you at the end of it. But no, the only thing that happens is what you know will happen all along. So ultimately the non-linearity turns out to be much ado about very little. Despite all that, Taylor does still project some of her star power even in a film like this. ** out of 4.