Traue keinem Hausfreund

Focussed on Ian Holmes wine merchant, a group of bored middle class professionals fill their lives by having a series of doomed affairs with each other.

Time has not been kind to this 'satire' based on Iris Murdoch's book. The characters are pretty much all detestable or plain daft and although Holmes brings the occasional smile to the face, the other characters particularly Attenborough and Remick are so unrealistic it's impossible to buy into what was presumably supposed to be sharp and biting.

Firmer direction might have helped - overall, sloppy.

One of my favorite movies ever, largely due to the fact that Iris Murdoch is my favorite author of all time. I saw this as a fairly young child, and it stuck in my head for years. Two of the best actresses ever, Claire Bloom and Lee Remick. Claire was perfect as Honor, like a tightly wound spring. The relationship between Honor and her brother is pure Iris Murdoch, whose characters always had complicated and sometimes quite twisted relationships. Very funny movie, as well, as is also typical of Ms. Murdoch's works.

I would highly recommend this movie to young adult audiences who like alternative and artistic, literary movies.

This is a mystery not a comedy.How can the film makers make such a mess of anything written by Irish Murdoch and J.B.Priestley.If that wasn't bad enough to lumber it with such a dreadful title.No wonder the distributors put this on the shelf for a couple of years.Shameful waste of all the talent involved.No doubt Blooms top less scene was included to boost the box office.

This stylish sophisticated high comedy on sexual desire and the nature of love is highly recommended. Witty and charming, it boasts an outstanding cast of actors. Not your regular cup of tea, these three couples not only manage to swap mates a number of times between them; but manage to do it with such flair that you cannot help but enjoy the ride along the way.

It may not be everyone's taste, but if you are looking for something more than a run of the mill romantic comedy; this is for you. In some ways, it could be considered a version of "Bridget Jones Diaries" for people who have actually read Jane Austen and not just seen the adaptations. Murdoch was a powerhouse in her time, and this shows you why.

The wine taster and merchant Martin Lynch-Gibbon (Ian Holm) is married with the shallow and spoiled Antonia Lynch-Gibbon (Lee Remick) and loves his mistress Georgie Hands (Jennie Linden). Antonia is under therapy with Martin's best friend, the psychiatrist Palmer Anderson (Richard Attenborough). One day, Antonia decides to ask for the divorce to Martin to live with Palmer, but they want to keep Martin as their friend. When Palmer's sister Dr. Honor Klein (Claire Bloom) comes from Oxford to stay with her brother, she discloses the affair of Georgie, who was her student, and Martin to Palmer and Antonia. Meanwhile Martin's brother Alexander Lynch-Gibbon (Clive Revill) has a love affair with Georgie and Martin falls in unrequited love with Honor, but he discovers a secret about Palmer. Who will stay with whom in the end?

"A Severed Head" is an unfunny British comedy about infidelity that maybe satisfies the British humor. The story is awful and wastes a wonderful cast with names such as Lee Remick, Richard Attenborough and Ian Holm among others. It is impossible to give a single laugh after 98 minutes running time. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Amantes Infiéis" ("Unfaithful Lovers")