Another "Private Lessons" you might think
not quite. There's a teenage boy (well in his mid-teens - I think?) and a seductive older lady (who doesn't really come into the scheme of things until the last 10 minutes), but this lad isn't really in love with her... It's her daughter he fancies.
Canadian teenager Mark travels to Europe on summer vacation to visit his uncle and cousin Tono. He also meets Tono's new stepmother and her drop dead gorgeous daughter Clair. Tono finds out that Mark is a virgin and tries to get him laid while also spending time playing tennis, admiring the views, drinking, smoking and hanging out with girls. However Mark begins to for in love with Clair, and the feeling is mutual at first until she breaks his heart. His obsession for her eats away at him and the relationship with Tono. So Tono's stepmother Kathrine steps in to mend a broken heart.
So no it isn't in the tradition of the raunchy sex comedy "Private Lessons", like the synopsis of the video has you believe. It does have the elements of many films of its ilk from its decade, as "Private Passions" plays out more like a generic, but awkwardly written (as the serious moments can be unintentionally laughable) and acted heartfelt teen drama about the pain and joy of your first real love and sexual experience. How sweet. Actually it isn't too bad, but at the same time it's rather forgettable posturing. As a straight out comedy it missed the laughs, one or two sequences aside and David Siegel's lively comic performance as the openly frank Tono gives it much added boost. Also the film is set/shot in Austria, where the beautifully framed locations makes for nice scenery and local colour. To add to the thriving decor is sultry actresses Sybil Danning (who before following this appeared in "They're Playing with Fire")
she surfaces here and there, but there's just not enough of this stunning lady.
The rest of the performances mainly fall on the bland side. Gavin Brennan's leaden acting as the sensitive Mark turns somewhat a wet blanket. Voluptuous blonde buxom Susanne Ashley looks lovely, but it's a cold performance. The camera really does leer on her in many shots, namely the undressing scene in the bathroom. There's also a bit of nudity and sex on show, but never caught in a crude sense. Kikuo Kawasaki's direction is sure-footed, but not particularly exciting due to the lack of bounce and along the way it pumps out a cheesy and mushy sounding soundtrack.
