Strange little film this. Even though the ending was fairly predictable, I ended up enjoying it far more than I had for the first part and might even enjoy it more on a second viewing. The story has interest, being based upon a Frenchwoman's novel of envy and desire and Samantha Eggar is fantastic, but although Curt Jurgens does the best he can there is either some serious miscasting here or the fledgling director Alexander Singer was not up to getting exactly what was required from hiss cast. The cinematography is clear, adventurous and exciting but even this cannot help lift this at the start. For far too long this is tortured and tentative as if not really wanting to get into the story and before long we feel the Jurgens character unconvincing as a philanderer, his wife too old and decrepit and the friend played by Ian Bannen completely peripheral. Certainly Eggar's appearance stirs things up but we are so bored by now it takes us time to reconnect. Once things click, however, we can forget the seemingly poor casting and follow the camera, but it is such a poor start that coupled with a predictable ending we are left feeling that we almost watched a great film.
Review of Psyche 59
