I have to admit, I don't usually find Christopher Plummer likable, but in Lily in Love, he was so cute! Playing a ham actor, he manages to show the audience exactly how self-centered he is and also extract sympathy. His wife, Maggie Smith, is a brilliant playwright and famous in her own right, and she always casts him in the lead role of her plays. While he soaks up the spotlight, she'd rather stay in a corner with her typewriter. It's the perfect arrangement; as anyone in the arts knows, a marriage can't survive with two egos competing for top billing.
When Maggie writes a screenplay and doesn't want Chris to play the lead, it wounds him. She insists he simply isn't right for the part. It's a story of an unhappily married woman on vacation who falls for a sensitive European. Chris begs, throws tantrums, auditions-but Maggie's mind is made up. Just this once, she's going to find a different leading man. Have you ever known an Actor? Do you think Chris will take the rejection lying down? No! He turns to his agent, (do you know that familiar face? It's Adolph Green!) as a co-conspirator. On goes a blonde wig, a fake nose, smooth lip to cover his mustache, and blue contacts. Adolph tells Maggie about a hot new star from Italy; she takes one look at the gorgeous headshot and casts Chris's alter ego!
You might find it odd that she doesn't recognize her own husband just because he's got a blonde wig on, but that's part of the fun of the movie. When the filming begins, and Chris puts on his Italian accent, Maggie's utterly charmed. But does she suspect anything? The entire movie will have you laughing and wondering whether she does or doesn't. Ladies, if you've ever been frustrated that your husband doesn't listen to you or only cares about himself, this movie is for you. You might find the plot of this movie familiar, and there have been other versions. I've seen My Geisha, which features a gender reversal, but Lily in Love is infinitely better. It's so funny, and Christopher Plummer is so funny - and gorgeous - in it!
