Beautiful model in New York has to decide between two suitors; unfortunately, the one she chooses turns out to be a jealous psychotic, sending her back into the arms of the first boyfriend, whom she marries. After the newlyweds move to California, the loser--jilted and delusional--closes in on their lives. Unpleasant TV-made stalker-drama from producer Aaron Spelling was ahead of its time in terms of subject matter, though the story is creepy and pointless. Lesley Ann Warren works herself into a real tizzy worrying that new hubby Ryan O'Neal won't be able to protect them from crazy Peter Haskell, though Ryan has apparently been working out at the gym behind her back (resulting in an evening street brawl which fails to raise any concern from the neighbors). The finale is directed for melodramatic chills, rendering the potentially gripping plot dynamics moot. One can easily see why up-and-coming star O'Neal signed onto this project: he gets to be the sensitive good guy while also playing macho and protecting his helpless wife from the scary villain. His performance isn't bad--and Haskell is careful not to overdo the wild-eyed bit--yet the picture takes mere surface-swipes at its own possibilities. It was designed to be a paranoia thriller for soap opera fans, and as such is callow and disposable.
Review of Love Hate Love
