Picture-postcard romances are not my cup of tea, particularly teenage or coming-of-age romances. Therefore, it is with great enthusiasm that I report that "A Little Romance" is one of the finest, most poignant picture-postcard romances I have seen - genial and enlightening throughout.
The film begins with a theatre showing clips from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." "True Grit," and "The Sting" laughably dubbed in French. The kid watching these American films is Daniel (Thelonious Bernard), a French kid with eyes full of amusement at everything he sees (he would have been at home in a Francois Truffaut film). Daniel emulates certain gestures and lines from these American heroes, such as "bingo!" and "Here's looking at you kid." One day, his class visits the film set of an American production starring Broderick Crawford (exceedingly funny cameo). While Daniel observes the action, he notices a girl reading a book rather than enjoying the action of filmmaking. Her name is Lauren (Diane Lane, in her film debut), a lover of philosophy books, who instantly senses something she likes about a kid who will carry her books and has his own homespun philosophies on literature and American movies. They start dating, meeting at subway stations, porno movie theatres, and cavorting in front of the Louvre. Their dream is to go to Venice and kiss in a gondola under a bridge where the church bells toll. This tall tale is told by the supposedly worldly con artist (Laurence Olivier), who shares a train ride with them to Venice after supposedly winning a bet at the races for the lovebirds.
"A Little Romance" moves swiftly from one episode to another, and it is the charming performances by the three leads that engages us from the beginning. Bernard and Lane have terrific chemistry, and we always hope that their romantic fantasy is fulfilled. Lane in particular was already beginning to show her flirtatious personality with her winks and frequent nods - quite a good early performance. Bernard is also winning as Daniel, and evokes a smile that is impossible to forget (say that about any recent child actors in the movies). Olivier is at his hammiest and at his most assuredly comical - he obviously is having a blast playing this fallible, elderly con artist and pickpocket.
There are also brief supporting performances by Arthur Hill as Lauren's agreeable father and Sally Kellerman as Lauren's nervous, flirtatious mother, an actress who may be having an affair with a movie director (who looks like a combination of Peter Bogdanovich and William Friedkin). She has a great line when she shouts to Lauren proclaiming the move from France to "goddamned Houston!"
"A Little Romance" could have used more emphasis on Lauren's parents and especially Daniel's father, who is practically left out of the film. Nevertheless, this is an exceptionally sweet and uplifting film delicately balancing between comedy and romance with unforced ease. And there is something to be said about a film focusing on such smart kids with aspirations. Imagine that.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://buffs.moviething.com/buffs/faust/
E-mail me with any questions, complaints or general comments at Faust667@aol.com or at jerry@movieluver.com
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