Lipstick on Your Collar

A tale of youthful lust, against a backdrop of the Suez crisis and national service. Interspersed with some great music of the era, which, for some reason the cast just start singing along to. Seems silly, and it is, but it works, and adds the right touch to the storyline, reflecting all those times when you wish life was a musical.

Like all of Dennis Potter's work, this shows us what film could & should be. It wakens all the old dormant brain cells. Yes, imagination & inspiration do still live & are still the main ingredients of REAL ART!!! Not necessarily compatible with democracy, tho, maybe, who knows?

In my view this is one of Potter's most impressive works. It has been years since I saw the series on television but I remember it became the highlight of my week. The unpredictable plot and the surreal use of day dreams and 50's music was masterful.

Louise Germaine was brilliantly cast as the stunningly beautiful Sylvia. She was beautiful that is until she spoke, revealing the most dreadful accent. A memorable performance. Even back in the early nineties it was clear that Ewan MrGegor was destined to go on to greater things.

Highly recommended viewing.

Super integration of songs and plot, superb acting by all. One of my favorite movies, although it's really too long to be a "movie." Giles Thomas is wonderful as private Francis Francis. I own this one and watch it at least once a year. It's that good. This is NOT a movie for children, as none of Potter's work is. One of the song and dance numbers is integrated into the plot in a most extraordinary way. It's the one in the military intelligence office about Egypt with the camel. The room is floor is full of balloons. When the number ends, and we get back to "reality," Col. Bernwood walks across the floor and kicks a final, pink balloon out of the way.

If you have a vivid imagination and your mind likes to wonder, you will be wonderfully rewarded by watching this Dennis Potter gem! It has a great fifties soundtrack and music numbers that are choreographed with exciting imagination! (but maybe Dennis needed to get out a bit more) The characters are well casted, and there performances, are extremely well delivered. As an added bonus, you get to see Ewen McGregor before he went to the Dark Side! I watched this show when it was first released on television, more than ten years ago, and loved it, and after a recent viewing, found the show had not lost any of it's edge! Maybe hard to find now, but! if you have not seen it, hunt it down! Enjoy!