LOOSE CONNECTIONS
UK, 1987, 90 minutes, Colour.
Lindsay Duncan, Stephen Rea, Robbie Coltrane.
Directed by Richard Eyre.
Loose Connections is an entertaining British road story, small-budget feature from Richard Eyre (The Ploughman's Lunch), a prominent stage and television director. Lindsay Duncan is the strong heroine, Stephen Rea (from Neil Jordan films such as Angel, Company of Wolves, The Crying Game - for which he received an Oscar nomination) is the seemingly nondescript hero. The film has comment on contemporary '80s Britain, the relationship between the sexes, feminism, British sport - and relationships.
1.Entertaining British road movie, battle of the sexes, assertion of the sexes, '80s style?
2.The London locations, the Continent, the roads and hotels, the countryside, the city, the football matches? Germany, society? The musical score and songs?
3.The title, relationships? The perspective of Sally? Of Harry? The perspective in favour of men, of women? Whose point of view? Types and/or stereotypes?
4.Sally, competent, her friends, her ability with cars? Lifestyle, her friends unable to come on holidays, the conference, feminism, her ad? The interview with Harry? Her criteria for accepting him? Thinking that he was gay, vegetarian, knew German?
5.Harry and his hangdog look, his jobs, the car factory? Lifestyle? The ad, the interviews, his wanting to get to the game, his lies, pretending to be an architect, vegetarian, gay, knowing German, knowing cars?
6.The road movie style, the trip and their relationships? On the boat, the different interests, drinking? Their talking and life stories? Gradually revealing something to each other? The clash of attitudes? Harry being free, Sally being ordered? The mishaps and her anger?
7.The boat, the drive, speeding, Harry's taste in music, navigating and ending in the lake, wrecking the car, unable to fix it, her ousting him, the night together, the hotels, drinking, his buddy and the stealing of the travellers' cheques? Catastrophe after catastrophe? Sally's reaction, going to her friends, Axel and her talking to the group about Harry, his sudden intrusion?
8.Their time together, her relenting? Discovering the truth about the football match? Her going to Axel, his advances? Her changing heart and going to the match with Harry?
9.Axel, the suave Continental male, hospitality, advances to Sally, alleged sophistication? Her reaction?
10.The honest talking between the two, the final night together, Harry leaving, his note? Harry at home with the footballers and singing in the bus? Would Harry and Sally's paths ever cross again?
