Rating: 3/5
There is a story and verse that belongs to this country — the border of England and Scotland. It is hundreds of years old. It tells the adventures of a young man, held in thrall by the queen of the fairies, who, in the centuries before pantomime, was reckoned a dangerous lady. It is called "A Ballad of Tam Lin."
A man plays saxophone in the foyer. A glass etched with folktale imagery stands between him and the camera as it pulls up and looks at the images.
Mickey (Ava Gardner) and Tom (Ian McShane) lay in bed. Tom confesses his love to Mickey. Initially, her only reply was to disclose her age. Then she tells him:
I shall love you, love you, love you. Love you and leave you for dead.
As they leave the bedroom, Mickey finds the saxophone player, unaware of why he is there. Mickey explains the rules of her country estate. He may stay as long as he likes or as long as she can stand him. He joins several other men who play games, drink cocktails, and get one-on-one time à la The Bachelorette.
Janet (Stephanie Beacham) rides up the estate on her bike, a puppy in the front basket. Through confusing interactions, Janet sells the puppy to Mickey against her wishes. When Tom sees Janet, he is smitten and takes her picture.
Tom seeks Janet, leaving Mickey feeling desperate. She pricks Tom’s finger and her own, making a blood oath. If Tom continues to see Janet, he may bring them ill omens.
Ava Gardner gets to play sexy in this movie, which feels like an exception to Hollywood’s hatred of women over 40.
Ian McShane and Stephanie Beacham are an odd pair. It takes a while for their relationship to gel, but they find an earnest sweetness that I enjoy.
The soundtrack features original music from The Pentangle. They give the movie a folksy base but add a dreamy surrealism to the estate’s bubble. The saxophone does a lot of work establishing mood.
The story is meandering, losing itself in beautiful countryside photography — not an inherent flaw, but at 106 minutes, it tests the audience’s patience as it waits for the story to happen.
A couple of scenes turn into a series of stills. It feels like they couldn’t figure out how to make the dialogue work. The stills they choose are weird and hilarious. One excuse I could think of is referencing the movie’s opening etchings, but none of the scenes align with their content or compositions.
This is Roddy McDowall’s only movie he directed, and it’s understandable why. The movie had limited release, was re-cut a few years later against his wishes, and has lived in relative obscurity since. I only know about it because of The House of Psychotic Women.
The movie explores a little of Christian faith versus Occult traditions. Though Janet is the daughter of a priest, her mother had charms and read tarot. It also reflects on the Free Love ’60s and what remains, leaning into the nuclear family as the only true salvation.
Overall, the movie has its charms. It isn’t a movie I love, but the right audience might.