Based on a novel written in 1960, a decade has not been kind to it, or perhaps it's one of those novels that was best left on paper. While Haley Mills had made a nice transition from child star to adult actress, some of the films do not hold up, and in this one, she's surrounded by some rather vapid, unlikable and even pervy characters, and there's really no story or point in what happens. A virginal young woman saving herself for marriage, she becomes the obsession of boarding house neighbor Oliver Reed who's already getting enough for two people.
I'll give the film credit for the beautiful sets and colorful photography, but that doesn't necessarily make for a good movie. The supporting characters can be truly obnoxious, and to spend ninety minutes with them becomes a real chore. I've seen better British mod comedies with the Carnaby Street look ("Smashing Time" at the top of my list), and Mills manages to add class to a film where the remainder is frosting covered compost.
I'll give the film credit for the beautiful sets and colorful photography, but that doesn't necessarily make for a good movie. The supporting characters can be truly obnoxious, and to spend ninety minutes with them becomes a real chore. I've seen better British mod comedies with the Carnaby Street look ("Smashing Time" at the top of my list), and Mills manages to add class to a film where the remainder is frosting covered compost.