I love Stephen Sondheim's shows (except for Pacific Overtures), and was interested to see this film adaptation.
Liz Taylor plays an actress named Desiree Armfeldt, who tours around the world with her theatre troupe, while her 12/13 year old daughter, Fredericka, stays with Desiree's mother, Madame Leonora Armfeldt. Desiree has had an on-again, off-again affair with lawyer, Frederick Egerman (who has just married an 18 year old girl named Anne, who, after 11 months of marriage, is still, unfortunately, a virgin). Unbeknownst to Frederick, his new wife, Anne, and his grown son, Henrik, are in love, and Desiree is also having an affair with another man, Karl-Magnus Mittelheim. Anne and Frederick are invited to Desiree's house for a "weekend in the country;" she initially does not want to go, but Karl-Magnus' wife, Charlotte, convinces her to in the hopes that Frederick and Desiree will end up together, and her husband Karl-Magnus will stop fooling around with Desiree.
Liz seemed very watered down to me as Desiree Armfeldt. I don't really know why, I just feel like she could have given more of a performance. I liked Len Cariou in this; he reprised his role of Frederick (from the original Broadway production); I enjoyed Lesley-Anne Down's singing voice, but I felt like her acting was not believable. I guess I was the most impressed by Diana Rigg as Charlotte. She seemed to be fairly consistent the entire film.
