Incontro sull'Orient Express

It's my favorite movie, and I love the story very much from the first time I saw it. Now I taped it to make a video CD, so that I can keep it ever, and review it anytime.

I cannot forget Lily's eye sight, Alex's face, and the beautiful song when they were sightseeing on a river boat: If you could-- save the time-- in the box--

***SPOILERS**** I was prepared for this one to be a drippingly saccharine bit of foolishness, although somehow it manages to transcend that, but the script is weak and predictable. With some beautiful on-location scenes in Venice and Paris, and the luxury of the famous Orient Express, it's as good as any Barbara Taylor Bradford TV movie for a wet afternoon.

Cheryl Ladd is strikingly beautiful as Lily, who is pursued by handsome Alex (Stuart Wilson) whom she met on a train 10 years before and had an affair with while travelling through Europe. Lily harbours a secret, and so does Alex, who disappeared, abandoning her without a word in Paris, plunging Lily into a distrust of men and commitment. Wilson, in a rare romantic straight role, is gorgeous and once again handles a change between a youthful 22 year old backpacker and a groomed 10-year-older-businessman remarkably well considering he was nearly 40 when it was filmed. Wilson still manages to transcend age gaps astonishingly well (recently in MASK OF ZORRO, LUZHIN DEFENCE) and is worth the price of the video. Did anyone ever consider him for Bond ? John Gielgud hams it up as Alex's stuffy rich father. Ruby Wax provides comic uplift as Lily's brassy friend and travelling companion who eventually confides Lily's secret accidentally to Alex, bringing about the happier ending. Lily's moping indecision, stubbornness, and uncommunicative attitude when Alex desperately and apologetically tries to explain to her what happened that fateful time 10 years ago, is so irritating you want to shake her, but though tears flow, you know that everything turns out fine in the end. And ultimately that's all you want of a reasonable feelgood movie. 6.5 out of 10.

Where to start?

'A prize for every ticket bought'... A well known and popular TV star in the leading role: Cheryl Ladd - I'm glad she made a success of her career. However she is not the greatest actress ever, certainly not strong/charismatic enough to raise this tv movie to any level above cliché.

A legend in a subsidiary.. no... guest appearance, role - a few days easy work for the grandchildren's college fund. Sir John in automatic pilot... in fact he is asleep at the wheel: businessman, company in trouble Alex (his son being forced to give up his love.. blahdy blah).

Truly dreadful music! Really, truly hackneyed: saxophone and strings... even an exterior shot of a train - unfortunately not entering a tunnel for true comedic value, this movie is far too po- faced for that...as the returned love of Cheryl's life (Alex) gets her kit off and they 'do the dirty' in her cabin. Tho dirty+Cheryl Ladd in the same sentence is textbook oxymoron.

Bizarrely the producers have 2 marvellous musical tracks amongst the tired clichés. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (yes, Elton John) and Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.

I'll list without comment more of the head-shakingly lazy, too satirical to satire threads.

Flashbacks - Cheryl is younger cos she has pigtails! Meets Alex (younger cos he is wearing a tank-top). Fun, joyful, 'best times of our lives' being wacky on our gap year music over appropriate scenes.

Cycling in France... as Middle - class students.. finding love?.. hey, but mummy and daddy will bail them out if reality bites.. but at a cost... They will grow up to be successful... but with secrets and regrets!

Then the Planes, Trains and Automobiles (without the comedy) scene.

Now... poor Ruby Wax. Big on tv comedy/talk shows in the early 1980s, "this is a TV film and we need some 2 dimensional comedic relief" She lives in the moment, isn't the brightest it was Ruby all the way! (If this had been a totally American production poor Ruby would have missed out to a feisty 'says it how it is' wise, not book smart, but huge fun Black woman!) anyway she is best friend and alter ego of oh so tormented Cheryl - her alter ego. A sounding board for Cheryl - verbalising the flashbacks and pivotal moments for those at home who have been making a cuppa!

Ruby is given a great billing in 1985. Now, barely a mention.

Oh yes, Frenchmen do keep their brains in their underwear.

However - a positive - it must be said, Paris as a film set might well be cliché... but what a cliché! The filthy, rubbish strewn French capital is seen at its best in movies, even with the 21 inch tv variety in 1985.

Very nice TV movie... with lovely landscapes and beautiful music! Excellent performances of the casting and 10 points photography.

The problem is that I can´t find the movie in VHS so I can buy it. Please people of AMAZON ... ! where I can get this movie? I want to buy it.

If you are at home one saturday afternoon with nothing to do... rent this movie, get a COKE some chocolate cookies and with a middle open window put the video in your player and enjoy it! It´s very smart advice from an argentinian movies expert.

Cheryl ladd is lily parker, traveling in venice. She gets on the orient express, and bumps into an old boyfriend. But it's no accident. Now we're in flashback, seeing how they met the first time. Alex falls for lilly immediately, and wants to spend every minute together. Forty minutes in, they hint at some big, horrible devastating secret, which is probably what drove them apart back in the day. We finally find out the big secret, and it's really no big deal. Now that they have met up again, can they patch things up? John geilgud costars as theodore, alex's father. It's all a bit silly and campy, but no big plot holes. The eighties hair, the eighties makeup. Ladd spends a lot of time fixing her hair. Meh... directed by lawrence clark. Story by jan worthington.