Like the little girl who, when she was good, was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid, Bergman seems either almost supernaturally brilliant or shockingly bad. Sadly, this film must be filed in Column B.
The main problem is with Elliott Gould's character. Badly written and performed, he is simply not believable as an object of attraction for the always wonderful Bibi Andersson. His childish behaviour is jarring and not provided with any convincing underlying rationale. Instead, he is simply irritating and increasingly repellent.
Max Von Sydow is his always reliable self as Andersson's cuckolded husband, but his role isn't big enough to salvage a sinking ship.
Bergman in English simply doesn't seem to work (see also The Serpent's Egg) and makes one fleetingly wonder whether his Swedish films are similarly stilted in their original language. But then one remembers the brilliance of Scenes from a Marriage, Autumn Sonata and all the rest, and reaches the conclusion that this clunker is the exception that proves the rule.
The main problem is with Elliott Gould's character. Badly written and performed, he is simply not believable as an object of attraction for the always wonderful Bibi Andersson. His childish behaviour is jarring and not provided with any convincing underlying rationale. Instead, he is simply irritating and increasingly repellent.
Max Von Sydow is his always reliable self as Andersson's cuckolded husband, but his role isn't big enough to salvage a sinking ship.
Bergman in English simply doesn't seem to work (see also The Serpent's Egg) and makes one fleetingly wonder whether his Swedish films are similarly stilted in their original language. But then one remembers the brilliance of Scenes from a Marriage, Autumn Sonata and all the rest, and reaches the conclusion that this clunker is the exception that proves the rule.