him.

Entertainment

Film gets too close

DOWN UNDER director Paul Cox has developed
_a fetish for close-ups, lots and lots of close-ups. In
fact, the close-ups in My First Wife are so finely
detailed that we can count the curly, grey hairs in
the beard of grief-stricken hubby and classical
musical composer John (John Hargreaves).

‘By COLIN LAMONT |

Why is poar John depress-

ed to the point of madness?

- John has found out that his
wife Helen (Wendy Hughs),
his’ beautiful, haughty lover

- and soulmate has been fool-
ing around with a friend and

*. vas the lady puts it to him dur-

. :, ing a shouting metch in bed,

“don’t love you anymore!’’
“It’s all over and she’s leaving

‘ But Aussie film-maker Cox

<< outwits himself with close-

‘ups in-this movie. While we
are counting the grey hairs in
John’s beard, we notice that
although: the sad, suffering

. : man has been crying and sob- -

. .bing uncontrollably since the
film has started, not one tiny,
: ‘Salty little teardrop. slides

ono stones

‘do of soulful,

his: withered cheek...
with, ‘their own.” marriage ° -§

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strains, a commuter: train
screams down its tracks,
roaring through the night
while 4 man and woman rise

and fall in passionate em-.
_brace, The camera then pans
a radio-station studio where -

bearded, cultured looking
John is sitting, hosting his
late-night classical music
show. ; ‘

impressive imagery but the

rest of the film falls flat. We :

soon realize that it’s John’s

. Wife and lover depicted in all

that’ imagery. and that John
rides the. commuter train
home “o her.

What is not clear in this
film is the character’s deep-
down motives and feelings.
Cox leaves us wondering just
who his characters really are
and why they are behaving
like they are when confronted

breakdown.
Weare expected.to take it
for. granted that. John, the

a calm-looking composer will
‘have a minor nervous
- breakdown. when Helen

leaves. him.. Helen leaves. a

_ dhusband of ten years because

‘she doesn’t love him but what

is led up to these feelings i: is left

to our ‘imaginations:

7 Only’ explosive, surface

symphonic |

emotions are given play.
John goes on a rampage,
screaming and shouting, call-
ing Helen a slut, whore and
unfit mother. Helen returns
the compliments with her
_own four-letter word

445 13th St.
West Van
&, 926-8922

Reservations Suggested :

greetings.

My First Wife would have
been more effective with less
close-ups of John’s face and
more close-ups of the
character’s inner emotions.
This film is at Royal Centre.

_North Shore News 986-6222

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