Sir Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn star in this unusual romantic comedy about men and women "of a certain age" falling and being in love. Olivier plays a barrister in London who has never married due to a brief liaison with a beautiful actress in Canada when many years ago when he was a law student. One day, that same actress (now widowed and being sued by a much younger would-be lover) comes to him for help and, lo and behold, it's the same woman who appears to have no memory of three days that have haunted him for decades. And now he must push through his own love and frustration to defend her.
Olivier is really a delight as the lovelorn barrister who tends to drift off into romantic reveries at the sigh of Hepburn. She is also quite funny as a somewhat vain woman, mourning her husband and aghast at being in a situation of being sued. And increasingly frustrated with what she perceives as wool-gathering on the part of Olivier. The interactions between the two shows what two acting pros can do with a truly witty script. I found myself just basking in the dialogue alone.
Despite being amused by it all, I was also a bit frustrated with Olivier's character. Are we really going to believe that decades after a brief affair ended, an intelligent and mature man would act the way he does? When he wins the case (through a combination of inciting Hepburn into a frenzy and then with a heartfelt monologue after she's dragged out of court...it's really quite something), he runs to find her, concerned that he may have gone too far. She forgives him and they sit together where he tries to explain himself. Hepburn's character begins mentioning different incidents from his life that might explain some of his distress and Olivier suddenly realizes that she does remember their time together.
We also realize that those three days were not just "a delightful roll in the hay" but a communion of souls as they shared things with one another that they never shared with anyone else. And finally we understand why that time meant so much to the old barrister...and that it meant something equally important to the former actress as well. It's a tender scene and quite brilliant.
Olivier is really a delight as the lovelorn barrister who tends to drift off into romantic reveries at the sigh of Hepburn. She is also quite funny as a somewhat vain woman, mourning her husband and aghast at being in a situation of being sued. And increasingly frustrated with what she perceives as wool-gathering on the part of Olivier. The interactions between the two shows what two acting pros can do with a truly witty script. I found myself just basking in the dialogue alone.
Despite being amused by it all, I was also a bit frustrated with Olivier's character. Are we really going to believe that decades after a brief affair ended, an intelligent and mature man would act the way he does? When he wins the case (through a combination of inciting Hepburn into a frenzy and then with a heartfelt monologue after she's dragged out of court...it's really quite something), he runs to find her, concerned that he may have gone too far. She forgives him and they sit together where he tries to explain himself. Hepburn's character begins mentioning different incidents from his life that might explain some of his distress and Olivier suddenly realizes that she does remember their time together.
We also realize that those three days were not just "a delightful roll in the hay" but a communion of souls as they shared things with one another that they never shared with anyone else. And finally we understand why that time meant so much to the old barrister...and that it meant something equally important to the former actress as well. It's a tender scene and quite brilliant.
Tell Your Friends