Jack Lemmon was one of those actors that always gave you the value of what you paid for the price of admission to whatever performance you saw him do. This little film, released in '76 is a story of a guy who gets involved with a Gypsy woman who has other agendas and spends the majority of his time in the story, trying to reconcile her with his own non-Gypsy values and somewhat straitlaced views. Genevieve Bujold, always lovely and a great performer as well, brings the persona of the Gypsy woman the screen with energy and vigor. James Woods, in his pre-"Angry young man" days has a part which balances Lemmon's role and the unforgettable veteran Greek character actor, Titos Vandis plays a Gypsy king.
I don't know what the facing reviewer had in mind because Gypsies come in all sizes, shapes and flesh tones. But, not knowing what you're talking about has rarely stopped people from voicing opinions that are not always congruent with the facts available. As an anthropologist, I not that the Gypsies are a marginal people whose culture historically has placed them in the periphery of most of the societies in which they have lived, and as such, the Gypsies culturally definitely dance to the tunes of their own drummers. This little film catches much of irony of that marginality which characterizes these amazing people.
All is all, this is a delightful albeit not terribly memorable film. No VHS or DVD listed as being available and not likely to be one, but if it crosses your TV screen on the late night show it's certainly worth watching.
