Film

Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in New York, plus articles, trailers and more

 

A Little Night Music (1977)

Director: Harold Prince

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Stephen Sondheim's adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night is an elaborate musical homage-cum-variation. It still centres on a yearn-of-the-century country house party, at which virginities are lost, adulteries are floated, and True Love wins through. Sondheim muffles the Freud but constructs some wonderful contrapuntal duets and trios, with characters in different places singing on top of each other. Harold Prince's film version is devoid of filmic ideas, but does give Elizabeth Taylor her least ridiculous part in a decade, and generally has decent performances. However, it also cuts the original score in a way that reduces the emotional credibility, and crassly highlights the weakest (because most conventional) song, 'Send in the Clowns'. Not offensive, just silly.

Author: TR

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Features

The divine comedy

The divine comedy

Film Forum honors Carole Lombard, cinema's funniest lady.

From here to maternity

Catherine Deneuve, belle maman, reigns in A Christmas Tale.

Van Dammage

With the metamovie JCVD, the Muscles from Brussels hopes to flex his acting chops.

Kind of blue

Elizabeth Banks comes undone in Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Sim city

Charlie Kaufman dreams up a portrait of the artist as a control freak.

Oliver's army

W. returns Hollywood's provocateur to the big political canvas.

Bridesmaid revisited

Anne Hathaway crashes more than a wedding in Rachel Getting Married.