The Public Eye

This film is no big name blockbuster, but it's undeniably my fourth most favorite flick of all times. The picture's whimsical feeling and dreamy musical score make it a must see for any B movie buff. Liberal Belinda's (Mia Farrow) growing impatience towards Charles' (Michael Jayston) stuffy attitude towards marriage's expectations set the scene for a delightfully entertaining comedy-drama. Julian Cristoforou (Topal) delivers a hilarious look at an impartial party's view on troubled life in the home place. I was fortunate enough to videotape the feature from television years ago in anticipation of it never making it to manufacturers release. I always had a soft spot in my heart for the underdog films, and in my opinion this one never garnered the kudos it rightly deserves. A definite 10 out of 10 !!

but fast-forwarded quite a lot. Somewhere there's a Roger Ebert review that is right on the money and hilarious. It was called "The Public Eye" when I saw it on Sundance channel. It was endlessly talky, and I think it might have been a stage play. It was a kind of paint by numbers fey love story. Mia Farrow who's often beautiful and wistful was skeletal and actually scarier than she was in Rosmary's baby. Especially when she danced! These were the deadliest of stock characters, the stuffed shirt husband, the waifish sincere sensitive free spirit, and Topol as the earthy Real Person who helps everybody find him and herself. Ebert described him as Zorba in a lab coat. Dumb dumb dumb. Why did I watch all the way thru? "Cause I'm old and got to look again at the tail end of the 60's?

I just saw this film a few months ago in a state run "art" cinema in Bucharest, Romania. I had nothing better to do and I saw some decent reviews in IMDb so I decided to see this movie. Plus, I'm a big fan of director Carol Reed.

The print was quite poor but the acting, especially by Topol, who I loved in Fiddler on the Roof (one my favorite movies) was good. 70's London was well photographed and the music was perfect. The film was quite moderately funny as well. In the first scene where he introduced himself, I felt Topol was quite irritating. But as we slowly get to know the character and his free-spirited nature, he begins to become likable, especially when he starts leading Mia in the streets of London with funny 'edible' names which is a highlight of the movie. This film was supposed to launch Topol as a male romantic lead. Instead, it fizzled and he continued to sing "If I were a rich man..". I think there was something missing in the movie but I can't point out exactly what it was - its an eccentric, moody little film.

Wouldn't it be nice if Hollywood remade this instead of well established classics like Psycho and Italian Job. This film never made it to the big league. Most film buff's would never have heard of it and the premise is quite interesting. The idea deserves a second chance with a better known cast (and packaging) although the original music theme should remain.

I have seen this movie twice, have been searching for it ever since. The music is so incredible, I still sing it in my head and play it on the piano from memory, but its fading fast, it has been twenty years since I saw it. I am so looking forward to getting the video if only someone could help find it.

I must have seen the movie at least once in all the decades: once in the 70s, once in the 80s, about thrice in the 90s and twice in the 2000s. I think it's great: Mia Farrow, the gealous stiff husband, the funny moustached fellow in white, London, the love story, the food streets, the final scene on the boat and, of course,... the music, which has been haunting me for almost four decades! With all the new films to see, that I can hardly keep up with, and which I devour for hours every day, a classic like "Follow me" is a treat", it's like a magic box that you open and old memories pop up like pop corn!Really great!