Cactus Flower

13 May 2019

Cactus Flower 1969

• Director: Gene Saks
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Goldie Hawn, Ingrid Bergman, Walter Matthau, Jack Weston, Rick Lenz, Vito Scotti, Irene Hervey, Eve Bruce
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Goldie Hawn – The Banger Sisters, The First Wives Club, Bird on a Wire, Overboard, Swing Shift, Private Benjamin, The Sugarland Express, Laugh-In
• Ingrid Bergman – The Yellow Rolls Royce, Notorious, Spellbound, Gaslight, Casablanca
• Walter Matthau – Grumpy Old Men, JFK, Candy, Charade
• Jack Weston – this and that
• Rick Lenz – various 60’s series
• Vito Scotti – here and there
• Why? Recommended by friend JS
• Seen: 12 May 2019      

       Introducing Goldie Hawn. That’s a bonus.

       Twenty-one-year old Toni (Hawn) is having an affair with a middle-aged married dentist (Matthau), father of three. Ah, except he isn’t and he’s in love with Toni, who starts the film by trying to commit suicide because her married lover stands her up and she’s rescued by handsome young neighbour Igor (Lenz). Complications lead to dentist asking his cool efficient dental nurse Miss Dickinson (Bergman) to pretend to be his wife.

       Based on a Broadway play based on a French play, it all seems to be a lot of trouble for a silly story.

       Silly or not, Hawn and Bergman are terrific. Matthau is less so but then his character is meant to be obnoxious. There are some good lines and the details of the sets are brilliantly 60’s. Beatles LPs in the record shop, Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet at the cinema are two examples.

       It’s a gem of a 60’s film, quite ahead of its time. It’s all down to Hawn and the details.

3 ½ * of 5