Un jour sur la plage

I recently had a look at the comments about this film. I am rather amazed that all of them attribute this movie to Roman Polanski. As IMDb writes it, this movie was directed by Simon Hesera, my late brother, and not Roman Polanski. It was his first major feature movie, saluted as a masterpiece by movie critics or other directors (such as Michelangelo Antonioni). Time has gone by, and for some unknown reason, in spite of the fact that Polanski is only mentioned as the one who adapted the story to the screen, the name of the director was skipped and the movie added to Polanski's curriculum. I was 17 years old and remember well the time when this film was made. Polanski, Peter Sellers and my late brother were all good friends and the movie was made "between friends". The story goes that my brother was given, with this sad movie and its tragic subject, a difficult first chance at directing a movie. Had he been given another subject, happier, funnier or more commercial, he would have made a hit and started a popular career as director, no less than Polanski's, who recognized my brother's genius.

This was a dark piece indeed. The original story was a Danish book, I believe. The name of the author escapes me. The other comments are correct. It was a bleak look at alcoholism but hauntingly accurate. I loved the film. Painful to watch yet truthful. The little girl was amazing. Peter Sellars was great & his gay partner, whose name I've forgotten, was another great British comedian. Probably the best piece of trivia is that his wife, Sharon Tate, and others, were murdered in California while Polanski was in England editing the movie at Twickenhan Studios, after shooting insert shots there. Polanski left Twickenham Studios that night when he heard about the murders & never returned to finish the film. Had he done so, I am sure the film would have been released properly & been worthy of standing by his other work. I would love to see this film released on DVD.

Films about alcoholism are never going to be easy to watch, but what makes this film special is that we see the full effects of the selfishness and path to destruction alcoholics do to their loved ones.

If you have ever been in the presence of a drunk, when you are sober yourself, you have probably seen the worst aspect of that person, which can often come across as either boring, bullying, or downright nasty. To the credit of this film and the excellent acting by Mark Burns, all of these characteristics are explored in the film. By the end of the film, your heart goes out to little Winnie (Beatie Edney) who deserves a far better dad, whom she believes is her uncle because of the shame that Bernie (Mark Burns) has brought onto his family.

This film has the otherworldiness that Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory suffers from. It features British actors, talking in English, but the film was done in Denmark. It kind of works in a weird parallel universe sort of way. It is not really important because the story counts more.

Anyone who has kids knows the dreaded feeling of trying to kill a day while finding ways to entertain them. So spending a rainy day at the beach just to get out of the house is something parents can relate to. The cameo of Peter Sellers (credited as A. Queen) and Graham Stark was light relief the film really needed because, from then on, it becomes a catalogue of distressing episodes as Bernie self-destructs.

The scene when the selfish parents join Bernie in the pub and leave the kids in the car says a lot about the 70s. Different times. A different world.

A powerful but sad film. I am glad I caught it on Netflix.

It's amazing to have finally seen this lost film. Poor Mark Burns died this year without ever having seen the finished film! Why was it lost? It's quite good but I can understand that even if this film had a normal release in cinemas it would not have been a hit. It's too sad and tragic. The performances are great, tho. Mark Burns plays a sensitive soul who loves his daughter but loves his drink a little bit more. Beatie Edney is amazing. One of the best child performances I've seen. It's fantastic to see that she grew up to be an even greater actress as an adult. She was in a chilling part in the TV series Prime Suspect.

It's also nice to see the Danish beach where "A Day" was filmed and also to see the great Bergman actress Eva Dahlbeck in the small role of a café owner.

Special in many ways before you even start watching, this miniature is not desperate to be liked and is in fact rather admirable for its commitment to being unlovely.

If you're wondering where they're going with this, then you may be disappointed; it is a snapshot of the miserable lives that play out in plain site when you truly don't care about anything but forgetting.

Often painful but not quite excruciating, this vision of a man living a day as if it might truly be his last in freedom though he seems anything but free in practice.

An exorcise in the pretentiousness of vulgar people always accompanied by a fairly agreeable child star.

Polanski seems like he can do no wrong in his writing of this.