YOUR TICKET IS NO LONGER VALID

Canada, 1981, 92 minutes, Colour
Richard Harris, Jennifer Dale, George Peppard, Jeanne Moreau, Alexandra Stewart.
Directed by George Kaczender.

Your Ticket is no Longer Valid is based on a story by Romain Gary (Roots of Heaven, Birds Come to Die in Peru). The film is directed by George Kaczender, director of In Praise of Older Women and Chanel Solitaire. His dramas are rather melodramatically presented, with an emphasis on the sexual struggles.

Richard Harris portrays a burnt out wealthy man, preoccupied with growing old and his growing sexual impotence. Comparisons are made with George Peppard as a banker, also preoccupied with sexuality. Jeanne Moreau appears as a madam who had known Harris in the past and who had killed a number of Nazis with a variation on acupuncture. The film focuses on the psychological tensions of the wealthy and their sexual relationships. It is altogether over-wrought larger then life and the characters not entirely drawing audience sympathy. Hence the film is something of a curiosity which may or may not appeal to audiences. It received minimum cinema release.

1. Interesting film? Entertaining? Portrait of people, conflict?

2. Canadian production, European settings? The international cast? The world of business and wealth? Musical Score?

3. The title, its references to the crisis in Jason's life?

4. Jason and Richard Harris: his voiceover commentary, broken marriage, relationship with his son, business deals? relationship with his mistress? The financial difficulties, age, sexual difficulties? His preoccupation with these? Discussions with his banker, bravado and comparisons? The money deals and loans? His bluffing? Business discussions? Relationship with his mistress, the impotence? The gypsy and the robbery? The sense of excitement, his fantasies? going to the madam, the memories, searching out the gypsy? Discovering her at the club, his sensuous dance? The insurance deal - and the solution to his problems? Subduing the gypsy in the dressing room, planning the murder? The madam and their change of plan the sexual encounter, the gypsy, his lovemaking and her killing him?

5. The mistress, her work, relationship with Jason, sensual experiences, love for him? Her attempts to please him? Participation in his death? The gypsy, the attempted robbery, Jason's reaction, dancer, the dressing room, knives and guns, his participation in the death plan?

7. The madam, her clientele, her friendship with Jason, memories of the past, the killing of the Nazis? Her plan for Jason and killing him?

8. The banker, the bravado, wealth, relationships with women? His concern about impotence? Comparison with Jason?

9. The son, his relationship with his father, money deals, the meetings, persuasion and his benefiting by his fathers' will?

10. The psychiatrist, the frank talk with Jason, his being uncomfortable, the possibility of psychology helping Jason?

11. Contemporary themes, Romain Gary as a novelist, a film adaptation and audiences invited into something of a prurient experience of a man in decline and despair?