Private Road

I am watching (!)'WITHNAIL & I' on TV , and was reminded that Bruce Robinson was in 'PRIVATE ROAD', a film I saw on TV (undoubtedly BBC 2) over 30+ years ago, and thought it was truly wonderful, but I have never seen it or anything about it since........ Given the cult status (Definition "Small viewing figures" -Alan Partridge)and wide availability of 'WITHNAIL', what has happened to PRIVATE ROAD......??? At the time I was 16, and identified with the 'Quiet is the new loud/Reject the Rat Race/Back to nature' theme. I remember it as an excellent film, but,sadly, I have been unable to see it again.With endless copies of junk films freely available ,is it not possible that a film of this rarity can see the light of day ? bfi where are you when we need you most?

I saw this film in Notting Hill Gate, London, when it first came out in 1971; I was 22 at the time, and probably stoned. Its advertising slogan was 'we saw the stars in Private Road' which somehow caught my attention. It was one of those films that seemed to speak to me personally (Zachariah was another) and had a profound effect on my life, particularly in sending me to Scotland, which set in place a whole fascinating sequence of transformational events in my own personal life and spiritual development. I remember little of the story, although I always fancied Susan Penhaligon; but the filming of the Scottish scenes somehow stirred in me a longing for that clear, wholesome fresh air and natural beauty which has been an inspiration for me all my life. If I could get hold of a copy, I would love to see it again.

Deliciously handsome, Bruce Robinson, plays affable, dilettantish author, Peter, who quite understandably falls for the adorably timid, emotionally frail pixie, Ann (Susan Penhaligon), and their sweetly tumultuous relationship, fraught with obtuse parental meddling, financial woes, erotic exultation, and naïveté makes for compelling cinema, this uniquely photogenic pair are one of the more charming screen lovers! Private Road is a delicate, witty, playful, earnestly romantic film; a memorable, smartly written love story told without sentimentality, replete with engaging, naturalistic performances, pithy dialogue and a refreshingly light directorial touch. It is both a rare and hugely satisfying experience to watch such a humane, emotionally intelligent film dealing so sensitively with the exquisite travails borne of nascent love as the eminently lovable Private Road.

The enervating conflicts between, Ann's reserved, controlling, conservatively middle-class family, along with boyfriend, Peter's profound anxiety over his best friend, Stephen's (Michael Feast) disturbing drug addiction, and his own mounting frustrations regarding the crass, innate emptiness of copywriting, plus his pronounced lack of ambition has lost none of its tender pathos. Gifted filmmaker, Barney Platts-Mills nuanced follow-up to cult classic Bronco Bullfrog (1969) vividly remains no less enthralling seen today than upon its initial theatrical release in 1971. Wholly deserving of its status of forgotten mini-masterpiece, if the colour palate were, perhaps, a little cooler, originating from navel-gazing Scandinavia, 'Private Road' may well have been unearthed a little sooner! The meticulous BFI restoration is sublime, images are sharp, colours are warmly appealing, soundtrack is perfectly crisp, and the two exciting bonus shorts are most welcome additions!

I bought a copy of this film from the writer/director some months back, having, if I remember correctly, traversed a few IMDb links and read some favourable reviews, including a co-poster's tip about where to get hold of it.

I've always had a fondness for films that focus on personal relationships and carry little in the way of political baggage. When done well, and 'Private Road' is done well, they become quite timeless, so much so that it's sometimes hard to appreciate that this film is now nearly forty years old. On one level the film is a sort of middle class kitchen sink drama, while on another it is a universal tale of a journey into adulthood which starts with passion and goes on to labour under the collective burden of real world responsibilities and the changing nature of friends and family.

I enjoyed the naturalistic handling and Platts-Mills' light touch. The couple and the friends had just enough style to involve, but not so much as to alienate the viewer. The use of the sub-plots of Peter's friends' lives and other, unexpected incidents, to test the maturity of the couple was effective and quality cameos, such as Patricia Cutts' literary agent, gave a certain richness to the texture of the film, without diverting from its main focus.

I recently purchased this movie on DVD, hence my review. For those of you looking for it the DVD is available direct from the writer/director Barney Platts-Mills website www.platts-mills.com, price £13.

I was expecting great things from this film judging by the reviews already on IMDb and the critical reviews by professionals quoted from newspapers and magazines. And it is certainly a good film, but sadly not a great film in my opinion. Platts-Mills has an unusual style of script-writing/direction, perhaps comparable only to Mike Leigh (Abigail's Party, Nuts in May). This movie has a simple enough story, and stars the lovely Susan Penhaligon as Ann Halpern. She is the rather spoilt daughter of a wealthy stockbroker. She meets struggling author Peter Morrissey (Bruce Robinson) and their relationship develops. They go away to live together, initially in a remote cottage in Scotland, then subsequently in a London flat. He takes a job in London in an advertising agency as he can't get his books published. This movie centres around Ann and Peter's own relationship, their relationship with Ann's parents, and the relationships with their rather close circle of friends, one of whom is junkie.

All the characters are well-played in a semi-improvised style - it's just that, for me at least, the story doesn't really go anywhere. And some things I didn't like: far too many fluffed lines are left in the final cut in the interest of 'reality' and the sole use of the f*** word (by Ann) is dipped out from the soundtrack even though this DVD is distributed in the U.K with a 15 certificate.

We do at least get to see some classic British cars from the 1960s/70s in this film. Ann's father drives a Rover 3500 V8 and Peter drives a Triumph Herald convertible belonging to Ann (her father bought it for her but she doesn't have a full licence to drive!).

In summary: a good film but ultimately disappointing for me as I was expecting more.