A TOUCH OF CLASS

UK, 1973, 106 minutes, Colour.
George Segal, Glenda Jackson, Paul Sorvino, Hildegard Nell, Cec Linder.
Directed by Melvin Frank.

A synopsis would make this film sound like a mindless glossy comedy about an extra-marital affair, flitting from London to Spain, an exercise in superficial entertainment. However, it is a sophisticated piece of humorous froth, showing us the ups and downs of an affair and the inevitable moving towards the pain of the end of the affair. What makes it superior is a fine blend of excellent comedy acting (George Segal again and Glenda Jackson, her second Oscar role, handling it well), entertaining lines and funny situations, and a sense of it being more plausible and real than most popular concoctions. It is obviously adult entertainment and, as such, can be recommended.

1. The high reputation of this film as an entertaining comedy? Box office success? Oscar nominations? The skill of comedy in the 70s? The screwball comedy in the tradition of the 30s as presented in the 70s? The box office value of the stars? Attractive potential for a wide audience?

2. The comic talents of Glenda Jackson and George Segal? Their individual talents, how well did they blend and mesh? The types they represented, the controlled style, the articulation of the dialogue and wit? A battle of the sexes?

3. The indications of the title, waning, tone? The class of Vicki, of Steve, of their affair? The irony of the lack of class in the Spanish episodes? In the English episodes? The quality of a comedy about relationships and sexuality?

4. The use of Panavision and colour: the British sequences - homes, office, theatre, workshop, apartment? The contrast with Spain: the plain, the roads, the Marbella hotel, the coastal scenery, the holiday resort? Appropriate atmosphere for this comedy?

5. The contribution of the music, the songs: the title song with its bounce and lilt, She Loves Me as composed by Steve and sung by Vicki? The other songs, musical background, Beethoven, a touch of class with the music?

6. The film seen as a basic triangle melodrama? As updated and presented in modern setting, exploring relationships and the lack of relationships? Men, women, relationship - affair, love? Family? The affair and needs, deceit? The light touch but serious implications? The comic touch for audience laughter and identification, for reflection? The bittersweet ending?

7. The light-hearted introduction via the baseball: the chance encounters with their comedy, the taxi, the wet etc.? Flirting, the meeting at the hotel, Vicki and her straight talk and Steve's reaction? The plan for the weekend (and the comedy about the various changes of the ticket both with Vicki's presence at the office, the phone calls about the family?).

8. George Segal's portrayal of Steve as a typical ordinary American in London? His strengths and weaknesses of character, vanity, inferiority complex, superiority? His ability at his work? His bonds with his wife, children, in-laws? An ordinary marriage? The importance of the 'seven year itch' syndrome? His style of dealing with this, his coping with life? The comedy on the domestic front?

9. The contrast of characterization with Glenda Jackson's Vicki? Divorced, her work, the rag trade and the visualising of this in detail?

10. The transition to Spain: the anonymous ride, the hiring of the car, the comedy with the car and the rent-a-car girl? The chance meeting with Walter and his shadow over the whole holiday? How successful was the comedy in the arrival at the hotel, the unsatisfactory room, climbing the stairs, the fight with the manager caught in between them? The hubbub of the complications and the visual comedy?

11. How well did the film explore themes of sexuality? The bond between the two, mere physical sexuality with no strings attached? Their fighting, Steve's hurting his back and the humour of trying to remedy this? Their violence, lovemaking? The importance of the argument about how they enjoyed themselves? The clash and the verbal battle, the truth told about each? Making way then for some kind of bond between them after truth had been told?

12. How was this balanced by the holiday sequences - the golf game and the skill of the boy? Their singing together? Shopping, meeting Walter and his wife independently and the meal together with its ironies?

13. The contribution of Walter to the comedy, to the themes? His background, the irony of his work with 'spaghetti westerns' etc.? His typical wife and her buying things? Walter's reflection about affairs and his pessimistic outlook on the consequences? His communicating this to Steve? His acting as a kind of conscience for Steve?

14. Their having to return and the humour of this with the mix up about planes and tickets? Their decision to carry on their affair which was against what they had originally intended? The scouting out of the flat, the Soho area, the importance of their building up and beautifying the flat together? A pleasant arrangement - leading to serious consequences? The serious side of Steve's visit to the flat, his meals? The effect on Vicki? The importance of the farcical elements of his taking the dog for a walk, the number of meals?

15. How did this build up to a head with the concert, the playing of Beethoven and his running backwards and forwards?

16. His work, the inevitability of his decision, the sending of the telegram and his regrets, the ironies and the end of the affair? His not following Vicki? Was this inevitable? Are affairs doomed to this kind of ending? The prospect of his return to Gloria and living his family life?

17. How valuable is this kind of comedy for exploring human relationships?