Travels with My Aunt

Maggie Smith is questionably cast as a wacky British eccentric, enlisting the aid of her uptight "nephew" (the terrific Alec McGowen) to help her out of a complicated blackmail scheme. Lumbering comedy-drama adapted from a Graham Greene novel is heavily padded with pinched, salty wit and lots of gossipy chit-cat and theatrical flair. It can't compensate for a lack of substance in the story, nor that Smith is too smart of an actress to be completely convincing as this merry madcap. George Cukor directed, with a heavy hand. Lou Gossett and Cindy Williams are both fine in support, but the movie is a featherweight farce undercut by faded-memory pathos. More heart and humor would have sufficed. ** from ****

Saw it in Vietnam the year it was released, and it did what a movie is supposed to do - took me somewhere else, and made me forget reality for a while. Any movie that could hold the attention of a bunch of GI's under those circumstances has to be entertaining! Haven't seen the movie in over 30 years, but can recall enjoying it. What more can be expected of a movie?

My recollection is the main character reminded me of a composite of two of my own aunts. Made me laugh. I'm usually not too keen on period-movies, but this one didn't overdo the genre.

Good cinematography.

Anthony Powell died recently, so I decided to watch a movie for which he won an Academy Award for designing the costumes. George Cukor's "Travels with My Aunt" is no masterpiece but enjoyable enough, with Maggie Smith as a fun-loving woman who takes her nephew across Europe. There's a number of high jinks along the way. It looks like a movie that they had fun making. It's not any sort of great movie, but I liked it.

In addition to Alec McCowen as the nephew, the supporting cast includes Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman) and Cindy Williams (American Graffiti).

I was disappointed in this as so much is just great.

Cindy Williams is terrific as a hippy-dippy train passenger. Alec McCowan is wonderful as the bewildered strait-laced nephew who gradually allows himself to cut loose from his narrowly defined life. It was great to hear and see a much different Lou Gossett, with outrageous robes and an odd African accent that works in this. The location shooting was beautifully done, particularly in Paris.

Maggie Smith's performance (and I am a fan of Maggie's) was just too loud, too dramatic, just way too over the top, so that when her sad side emerged, it came across as equally phony. Her makeup as a very much older woman is flawless and when she played her younger self, it was a much more controlled performance.

I think Maggie could have used better direction here. A great story that at some time needs to be filmed again. Alec Mc Cowan's performance makes it highly watchable. He gets is just right.

I gave it a 7 out of 10.

With all the talent connected to this film, it's amazing that it isn't better. Katharine Hepburn was the original choice for the lead, but some kind of contract dispute stopped her from doing it. Maggie Smith took over the role and won an Academy Award nomination. Even so, many critics complained at the time that she over-acted, but I feel she's the life and breath of what fun there is in the movie.