Seven Nights in Japan

A loose update of Roman Holiday, with Michael York in the Audrey Hepburn role and without Wyler's witty handling. It's the hoariest of escapist fantasies, mixing royalty (in disguise as a common chap, no less), romance and foreign parts in equal measure as our Prince - obviously Charles, though called George - absconds from convincingly boring duties to savour love on the loose with a Japanese tour guide. The first two nights slip by painlessly enough, but after that it's minutes one counts, not nights. There's an alarmingly silly assassination plot, and only very tentative gags (like the familiar voice on the telephone, backed by yelping corgis).