Movie Review: Georgy Girl (1966)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy  

Director: Silvio Narizzano  

Starring: Lynn Redgrave, James Mason, Alan Bates, Charlotte Rampling  

Running Time: 99 minutes  

Synopsis: In London, Georgy Parkin (Lynn Redgrave) is a frumpy but bubbly children's music teacher in her mid-20s. Georgy's unglamorous looks limits her romantic prospects, but the older, wealthy, and married James Leamington (James Mason) offers her a contract to be his mistress. Georgy's alluring roommate Meredith (Charlotte Rampling) is dating banker Jos (Alan Bates) among many other men. Jos and Georgy develop feelings for each other, but then Meredith announces she is pregnant with Jos' child.

What Works Well: The bright and breezy story of a misfit navigating relationships in swinging London shines a bright light on a rapidly changing society. Pre-marital sex, infidelity, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, open relationships, abortions, and adoptions all feature in the adaptation of Margaret Forster's book (she also co-wrote the screenplay). Director Silvio Narizzano adopts a matter-of-fact and shock-free attitude, and allows the unconstrained energy of Georgy, Jos, and especially Meredith to fill the screen, with Lynn Redgrave (romantic fragility hiding beneath a care-free facade) and Charlotte Rampling (audaciously blunt narcissism) the standout performers. The courageous ending seeks outcomes packed with new questions, while the iconic title song hints at be-careful-what-you-wish-for sarcasm.

What Does Not Work As Well: The introductory act is slow, and the segments featuring James Mason's character Leamington are particularly plodding. This is perhaps intentional to underline his generation being sidelined, but the loss of momentum is nevertheless palpable.

Conclusion: The messy outcomes of wholesale rule changes.

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