मेरी चाची के साथ यात्रा

This is a pretty odd movie that mixes drama with adventurous elements and yet somehow works.

The movie is definitely entertaining to watch, with a good cast, some fine comedy moments and a good solid adventurous story. Nothing too big or fancy, just a decent enjoyable movie quality movie to kill some time with.

The movie has a perfectly adventurous way of storytelling, meaning that lots of places around the world are being visited in short amount of time and many different characters come and go.

The movie obviously had some great production values, since the movie is set all around the globe, from Paris to Istanbul and everything around it and between. The movie is also looking with some lively, deliberately over-the-top looking sets and costumes (both nominated for an Oscar with the costumes even eventually winning.). But what else was to expect from a George Cukor movie. The man who is known for director cheerful and good musical mostly in the '50's and '60's including "My Fair Lady" but also comedies, like "Born Yesterday" and well known serious drama classics as well, such as "Gaslight", "The Philadelphia Story" and for some part, before he was booted from the set, also "Gone with the Wind".

He mixed all those previous styles he had worked with before in this movie. The end result is a quite unique and one of a kind movie, that works fine on the adventurous level, as well as the comical and dramatic one.

The movie is well cast with Maggie Smith in an absolutely splendid role. A role that even got her an Oscar nomination. She also had some great chemistry with Alec McCowen, who is obviously the least known actor of the main cast. His role even got him a Golden Globe nomination. Abolutely great and humorously entertaining was Louis Gossett Jr. in his role. He not only shows that he is a great actor but also how well he can handle the comedy genre. His character provides the movie with the most and biggest laughs. Too bad that his career has derailed so badly the last couple of decades, ever since his Oscar winning role for "An Officer and a Gentleman", from 1982.

But no, when you look at this movie you'll realize that it also is far from a perfect one. The story gets a bit too odd at times and the storytelling is just off. The movie also too quickly ends some potentially interesting or amusing plot lines and the different adventurous/comedy and drama elements don't always go together well.

Nevertheless it was a movie I mostly enjoyed watching and I wouldn't mind viewing it again.

A good entertaining movie, that definitely deserves to be seen.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Saw it in Vietnam the year it was released, and it did what a movie is supposed to do - took me somewhere else, and made me forget reality for a while. Any movie that could hold the attention of a bunch of GI's under those circumstances has to be entertaining! Haven't seen the movie in over 30 years, but can recall enjoying it. What more can be expected of a movie?

My recollection is the main character reminded me of a composite of two of my own aunts. Made me laugh. I'm usually not too keen on period-movies, but this one didn't overdo the genre.

Good cinematography.

I did enjoy this Maggie Smith movie, although her performance is far too exaggerated. The age difference between her and her role as the eccentric aunt to a very staid banker played by Alec McCowen isn't helped by her high-strung performance. McCowen, as the nephew, was much more on track as her strait-laced nephew, who learns to adapt to his free-spirited "aunt". There are hilarious moments in this whirlwind adventure across the continent. McCowen and Cindy Williams, as a pot smoking flower-child, deliver great entrainment as McCowan sheds his banker's personality. Despite its flaws, the movie exhibits some gorgeous sets and a fair dose of fun.

Maggie Smith is questionably cast as a wacky British eccentric, enlisting the aid of her uptight "nephew" (the terrific Alec McGowen) to help her out of a complicated blackmail scheme. Lumbering comedy-drama adapted from a Graham Greene novel is heavily padded with pinched, salty wit and lots of gossipy chit-cat and theatrical flair. It can't compensate for a lack of substance in the story, nor that Smith is too smart of an actress to be completely convincing as this merry madcap. George Cukor directed, with a heavy hand. Lou Gossett and Cindy Williams are both fine in support, but the movie is a featherweight farce undercut by faded-memory pathos. More heart and humor would have sufficed. ** from ****

With all the talent connected to this film, it's amazing that it isn't better. Katharine Hepburn was the original choice for the lead, but some kind of contract dispute stopped her from doing it. Maggie Smith took over the role and won an Academy Award nomination. Even so, many critics complained at the time that she over-acted, but I feel she's the life and breath of what fun there is in the movie.