I was embarrassed for Sir Laurence Olivier who must have been in dire need of money to allow himself to be involved in this picture. The only two actors that actually seemed to know what they were doing in this film were Mr. Olivier who played Julius and Arthur Hill who played the father. Sally Kellerman was way over the top as the neurotic, hypocritical and overbearing mother (reminding of Hot Lips Houlihan in "M*A*S*H"). It appeared to me that the director was only interested in placing the children in adult situations and seeing how filthy he could get their language to be. The film might have been better if it had been completely subtitled or in English (with poor or unintelligible French and Italian accents). The only reason to actually view this film is because of Olivier. His character was believable. The story line was predictable and contrived. The direction looked like it may have been done by a film student who was unsure of how to direct...which is surprising, since George Roy Hill directed such watchable and enjoyable films as "The Sting," (which had a prominent placement in the film) "Thouroughly Modern Millie," and "The World According to Garp." If you have 2 hours to spend, it might be better to find something else to watch...maybe "Bridge to Terebithia," or "My Girl."
Review of A Little Romance
