陌生人之恋[Film Review] Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) 7.7/10分集剧情
Essentially,ourcurrentsoulmatesorsignificantothers(whothosewhoareluckyenoughtofindone)areallstrangersattheverybeginning,soareNatalieWood’sMacy’sgirlAngieRossiniandSteveMcQueen’sodd-jobbingmusicianRockyPapasano,bothintheirsaladdays,theydomakeanadorablecouple,butbeforetheygodownthatinevitableroad,thereisasnaghereinRobertMulligan’sLOVEWITHTHEPROPERSTRANGER,sheispregnantwithhischildbeforetheycangettoknoweachother.Pluckilywrestlingwiththecontentioustopicslikeonenightstandandabortion,Mulligan’sfollow-upofhispièce-de-résistanceTOKILLAMOCKINGBIRD(1962)istonallyfriskierandvisuallymorefluid,especiallythroughitsopeningpassageofajam-packedmusicianhiringsession,whichchannelsthetwoprotagoniststogetherwhenshedropsthebombshell,anditscodaonthecrowdedintersectionrightoutsidetheMacy’s,theinfluenceofFrenchNewWaveisinevidence,anemancipatedmobilityrunsthroughtheseexteriorsequences,engendersarevelatoryfrissonofrealismthatheraldsthefootstepsoftheNewHollywood.TherearesatisfactionaplentyinwatchingthesmolderinginterplaybetweenAngieandRockywhichculminateswiththemomentweawait(itismadeinthe60s,thusamainstreamAmericanmoviewouldbeunconceivabletoadvocateapro-choiceprogstance),whentheabortionisscotchedintheeleventhhour,andRocky,ahardenedbachelor,isfinallyifbegrudginglywillingtotietheknot.Muchtohisdisappointment,hispurportedlymatureoverturesonlybackfiregrosslyandexasperateAngie,whosemodernifslightlyparadoxicalviewonlovecannotstomachashotgunmarriage,shewantshimtomarryherbecausehelovesher,notbecausethereisabunintheoven.Mesmericallyactingwithasteelyresolvewhichpossiblyshehasn’texhibitedbefore,Woodreapsherthirdand(unfortunately)finalOscarnominationbyindividuatingAngie’splightandindependencewithanalternatelyharrowinganddelightfulseriocomicimmediacyandforce(theboisterousnessofacongestedItalian-Americanhouseholdischoreographedandactedwithgreatmomentum);McQueen,ontheotherhand,alsoupstheantewithdelineatingRocky’spersonaasamusinglybefogged,self-effacingandphilosophicalinfrontofthedilemma,averydisarmingandlikablecharacterizationthatisdiametricallydifferentfromhistrademarkhard-boiled,taciturn,loneheroscreenalterego,onecannothelpbutwonderwhetherClintEastwoodhasthatchopsinhimaswell,canheholdthat“betterwedthandead”placardwithoutanyscintillaofmachismo?Seemsunlikely.LWTPSalsomarksourbelovedTVstarTomBosley’sfilmdebut,hisAnthonyhasnoqualmsaboutbeingafallbackinAngie’splan,bringingaboutenoughlulzwithhishumbleself-knowledgeandalsocomicallyresetingaudience’sfirstimpressionofhismaladroitness,whichcouldbeatrustworthyindicatorofabadmatch.PlauditsshouldalsobegrantedtoEdieAdams’scanineloverBarbie,Rocky’scasualbedmatewhocanyap“Youwantmetofindyouadoctor?”likenooneelsecould,intherealworld,sheandRockyaremoreaptlytoenduptogether,butthroughafilm’slife-affirmingfilter,LWTPSisnonetheless,ascrumptiousconfectionwithitswinningcandidnessandapropermoralbackbone.referentialentries:Mulligan’sINSIDEDAISYCLOVER(1965,6.6/10);TOKILLAMOCKINGBIRD(1962,9.1/10)
