Penny Gold

Francesca Annis gives quite a performance as a pair of identical twin sisters, Delphi and Diane. They are complete opposites in personalities and lifestyles. When Diane is murdered, everybody is a suspect especially Delphi who deals with rare stamps. The film is satisfactory even with a stellar cast. They filmed on location in England. Jack Cardiff tried his hand at directing. The film is a decent effort. The mystery does have some twists especially at the end of the film. I wished the film had a better ending. I would have liked to know what happened to the main characters in the aftermath. James Booth plays detective in the film. I enjoy seeing other British actors and actresses like Nicky Henson, Joss Ackland, Una Stubbs, a young Dame Penelope Keith before she became a television star.

Jack Cardiff is an academy award winning cinematographer (for 1947's "Black Narcissus") but is an uneven director (Though his 1960 film "Sons and Lovers" garnered him an Oscar nomination). In this film, he moves away from the viewfinder of the camera and into the seat of the director's chair.

The DVD Cover provides this synopsis for the film: This dramatic indie thriller, set in the intriguing world of high-stakes stamp collectors, is directed by acclaimed British cinematographer Jack Cardiff. A detective (James Booth) is assigned to investigate the murder of a young woman, whose body is found in the shadow of Windsor castle. In the course of his inquiry, he stumbles onto a plot to steal a rare and valuable stamp called the Penny Gold--and encounters a woman who appears to be the dead girl's lovely but dangerous evil twin (Francesca Annis).

This description paints the film in a better light than it actually is, which is obvious since it comes from those trying to market the picture on DVD.The film's narrative has the quality of something one may see on a made-for-TV program rather than something one would consider "theatrical." While the set up and initially beginnings of the mystery are captivating, the rest of the film is dreadfully dull and uninteresting. The story is totally unfocused as we are presented with scenes, such as random flashbacks, that seem totally out of place and irrelevant.

The mystery itself is not at all that mysterious as the audience can predict its outcome from the very beginning and thus makes the film a big build up to nothing.

There are a few good traits, such as the wonderful location shots of Windsor Castle and the surrounding rural areas (courtesy of Mr. Cardiff), and a well-photographed car chase (which, unfortunately, seems out of place).

The DVD was a blind buy given its cheap price of merely $4 (most online DVD stores carry it between $4-$6), but I certainly wouldn't pay a cent more. The film, admittedly, is attractive at that price but it is suggested you save up your money for more quality films.

Not recommended except those who are fans of Jack Cardiff or those who don't mind squandering $5 to add a title to your collection.

This could have been made at Merton Park ten years earlier, but for it being in colour, the graphic description of the injuries suffered by the murder victim and the annoying 70's-style music score by John Scott. Several other reviewers have commented on the fact that it is possible to see the final 'twist' coming almost as soon as the credits are over; although part of the fun is working out the 'how' and 'why' since the 'what' is already so obvious.

Shot in wintry London locations (particularly at and around Windsor), it's attractive to look at; but considering that it was directed by Britain's top Technicolor cameraman of the forties & fifties, it's constant reliance on zooms comes as a letdown.

This had all the ingredients to be a great film, but sadly it ultimately falls a bit short of the mark.

It follows the investigation into a young woman's murder in the opening scenes, and the pursuit of a priceless stamp which seems to be connected to her death - the Penny Gold.

There's a excellent cast, including the gorgeous Francesca Annis in the lead role, and also James Booth as a rumpled detective who soon gets on the case.

The story does become a bit muddled and unfocused, although things pick up a bit towards the end as the deception is finally uncovered.

Apart from Francesca (who plays a set of identical twins here), the best part of the film for me was all the location filming, unusual for a British film from this era. It's wonderful to see the streets of Windsor and Eton as they were in thr early 70s, as well as Pinewood's Heatherden Hall and grounds.

It certainly helps to give the film so realism and grittiness, and it must have felt quite fresh and moddish at the time.

But, considering the prestige of the director, this is sadly where the film falls a bit flat - the direction just doesn't create much suspense or real tension, and fails to translate quite an intriguing and twisty story to the big screen.

Having said that, it certainly has lots of early 70s charm, and it's fun spotting all the famous faces and locations. The ending, when you get there, is clever and worth waiting for too.

The film is produced in 1973. A police movie that is actually one of the first generation movies of this genre. The story of the movie is not very amazing. Maybe after 50 years since it was made, the story seems a bit simple, but I almost guessed the theme from the middle of the movie. However, I was surprised towards the end of the movie. Therefore, it is one of the films that can surprise the audience to some extent and advance the story in a way that the audience does not expect. The twist of the story is suitable and it keeps the audience almost to the end. Although the movie is old, it can be enjoyed and maybe it will be worth the afternoon of a day off.