Charlie Bubbles

Finney's sole film to date as director, a cause célèbre in its day because it was refused a circuit release, is something of a curio, a movie with a tone and taste all its own. Charlie is a successful writer run dry (Shelagh Delaney, who wrote the script, hasn't exactly been a cataract since 1968). He fools without relish with a pal in a restaurant, watches his female menials on his domestic closed circuit, goes north dutifully to his ex-wife and son, is too tired to care about a come-on from Liza-with-a-Zee en route. The coda, which looked a resonant little fantasy then, may well come across as a thunderous cop-out now.