French Dressing

Amusing 1960s innocence with Ken Russell twists. Experimental Hit and miss as with a many films and the arts at such a creative time.

Having read the less pleasant reviews of French Dressing I've just re- watched it after an absence of 20 years, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it utterly charming and delightful. It's very much a filmed seaside postcard and looks as if everyone loved making it up as they went along. I certainly appreciated the surrealist humour and wasn't at all surprised to see Ken Russell named as director. Bits of it reminded me of Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland (made two years later!), and the burning of the inflatable models, bizarrely, put me in mind of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And I found Alita Naughton irresistible. Pity its reception so upset Ken Russell.

A special title: I had to go across the pond to retrieve it! Because this film has never been released on home video in the US, I bought the film on eBay in the UK and shipped it to my friend Darren in Scotland, who ripped it into a Quicktime file to send to me. I would safely say it is the most difficult film to acquire I have ever tracked down!

First, the negative: this process caused a messy, glitchy version of the film that was admittedly harder to watch. I could handle it, but I wouldn't show this copy to friends unless they were warned. It makes the case for why having restorations and good quality picture matters.

Nonetheless, the feature debut of Ken Russell is truly a delight. It's a short and sweet 80 minutes and impressively has a fair share of humor and stylistic wow moments. He knows how to create beauty and wonder in cinema form like few other filmmakers I've ever seen. Despite its reputation as being Russell's least innovative project (had to start somewhere) it still has a few brilliant set pieces and photography to ogle at (not even just of the bikini-clad movie star). I laughed out loud, I was moved by some of its beauty. There's something to this late-era black and white that's really magnificent. You can see it as a contemporary to "A Hard Days Night," released the same year to much greater success. Some of its humor has aged, some of it remains relevant today toward the objectification of women, especially in regards to how it is shown in film. And it's surprisingly blunt at times, perhaps this is why it's been impossible to find in the US.

I hope to one day see this movie again in a proper restoration, or at least the unpixelated version as described. Yet despite some visual setbacks, I could still relish in 'French Dressing' and can't wait to see the next entry in Russell's filmography.

This presumed comedy starts off reasonably well and has a few entertaining moments but they are few and far between.One can see the embryo talent of Ken Russell at work with lots of quirky moments.However one of the basic problems is the script.When you see numerous credited writers you know that there were problems with the film..Additionally the film has essentially non acting leading lady in Alita Naughton.It is little surprise that she had a very short acting career.Surprising that they couldn't get an experienced actress to play the part.In the acting stakes Marisa Nell is quite good at.buying her image.Roy Kinnear gives good support to leading actor James Booth.Associated British who released this film didn't have much luck with seaside comedies.The Punch and Judy Man wad also a box office disappointment for them despite the fact that it starred Tony Hancock.

This has always been a weakness of mine: one of Ken Russell's earliest made-for-cinema efforts after a prestigious early career in TV documentaries. It stars one of my favourite minor British actors, James Booth, who went on to appear so memorably in 'Zulu' the year after, the late Roy Kinnear as a corpulent side kick, as well as the irreplaceable Bryan Pringle, as the corruptible and egoistical Mayor. The weaknesses, and charm, can be put down to its time and some of Russell's own uncertainties on a larger canvas: EG the awkward apeing of some Nouvelle Vague mannerisms for outside shots, and the varying tone - psrtly due to Russell's attempts to reconcile so many disparate elements. But to offset that, his surreal vision of a small English sea-side resort (Herne Bay), seeking to raise its cultural and tourist profile was (and remains) delightful to anyone who was familiar with the run down, determinedly unsexy reality at the time. Its a film a long way from the later Russell's variable excesses and, although sometimes awkward, is never heavy handed. He works well in black and white, maintaining a narrative interest and drive which only falters at the end, even if wide boy Booth is unable to project the warmth and passion his character's infatuation ultimately needs. This is one of those rare British films in which the imported continental talent - in this case, Marissa Mell (who plays 'Francoise Fayol', clearly modelled on Bardot) 'works' as a character - her exotic sexuality, so out of place in drab Gormley-on-Sea, is the point of a film that pointedly contrasts expectations, then results, throughout. And, as a view of small town municipal life, 'French Dressing' would bear some closer investigation by British critics than it has hitherto received. It's good too to see a falling out of opinions on IMDb's hallowed pages about this film - a sure sign that it is alive and kicking...