A rather stuffy intellectual writer (Hurt) with little knowledge of the modern World accidentally discovers the existence of a young American film star (Priestly) and falls in love with him. Every aspect of the American's life is explored until Hurt goes to Long Island to seek him out.
There have been a number of justified comparisons with Death in Venice and in the last 20 minutes or so, as things come to head, it does indeed become moving and just a little bit sad. It must be said that the great pleasure of the film is John Hurt, giving yet another towering performance and the first hour of the movie as his character, ignorant of modern society, seeks the man in his many film star guises - film, magazine often to very witty effect. A touching and often quite wonderful film and, incidentally, not remotely arty.
There have been a number of justified comparisons with Death in Venice and in the last 20 minutes or so, as things come to head, it does indeed become moving and just a little bit sad. It must be said that the great pleasure of the film is John Hurt, giving yet another towering performance and the first hour of the movie as his character, ignorant of modern society, seeks the man in his many film star guises - film, magazine often to very witty effect. A touching and often quite wonderful film and, incidentally, not remotely arty.