As a fan of both Michael Caine and Natalie Wood (I met them both- Caine on Catalina Island, and Wood on board the Queen Mary), I read the negative reviews and thought, how bad could this BE with two of my favorites? And one review seemed to suggest it might have been filmed aboard the Queen Mary (the review opined that Ms. Wood died not far from the filming location). I worked on the QM for several years and with Ms. Wood on another filming, The Memory of Eva Ryker, on the Queen Mary (she was a delight in person), so I looked forward to seeing this.
First of all, it was filmed on the Norwegian Cruise Line Ship the Starward, which was a Caribbean cruise ship based in Miami, not LA/Long Beach, so the shipboard scenes were likely filmed there (not that it matters). Secondly, sadly, for me the entire film rang hollow, just didn't work. Everyone seemed to be trying too hard, flailing in vain. No chemistry whatsoever between Caine and Wood. Natalie was the worst I've ever seen her, to my surprise and dismay, and I'm not sure why (the awful dialogue, perhaps). If this had been the only Natalie Wood movie you'd ever seen, you'd never dream she would be a shining star (which she was, in numerous films, e.g., Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, and Love with the Proper Stranger, to name just two). The marvelous Kitty Wynn (Panic at Needle Park, The Exorcist) was equally lacklustre, wasted here. There were no high points in the film. I thought the script was convoluted, and neither charming nor funny. I found the incessant, staccatto, "snappy" wise guy delivery of inane dialogue and the frenetic pace grating- intended to lend a zany air to the proceedings perhaps but didn't. Michael Caine did his best, but he couldn't save it. And last but not least, despite the vintage cars it didn't strike me as noirish or reminiscent of the 1940's at all, to me had a pronounced 70's vibe. The colors and lighting, as well as the fashions, makeup and hair styles were all wrong. I would say see this only if you would enjoy watching Michael Caine read the phone book (are an ARDENT fan). The only part I found mildly interesting was comparing the Starward to the Queen Mary- the rest left me cold.
First of all, it was filmed on the Norwegian Cruise Line Ship the Starward, which was a Caribbean cruise ship based in Miami, not LA/Long Beach, so the shipboard scenes were likely filmed there (not that it matters). Secondly, sadly, for me the entire film rang hollow, just didn't work. Everyone seemed to be trying too hard, flailing in vain. No chemistry whatsoever between Caine and Wood. Natalie was the worst I've ever seen her, to my surprise and dismay, and I'm not sure why (the awful dialogue, perhaps). If this had been the only Natalie Wood movie you'd ever seen, you'd never dream she would be a shining star (which she was, in numerous films, e.g., Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, and Love with the Proper Stranger, to name just two). The marvelous Kitty Wynn (Panic at Needle Park, The Exorcist) was equally lacklustre, wasted here. There were no high points in the film. I thought the script was convoluted, and neither charming nor funny. I found the incessant, staccatto, "snappy" wise guy delivery of inane dialogue and the frenetic pace grating- intended to lend a zany air to the proceedings perhaps but didn't. Michael Caine did his best, but he couldn't save it. And last but not least, despite the vintage cars it didn't strike me as noirish or reminiscent of the 1940's at all, to me had a pronounced 70's vibe. The colors and lighting, as well as the fashions, makeup and hair styles were all wrong. I would say see this only if you would enjoy watching Michael Caine read the phone book (are an ARDENT fan). The only part I found mildly interesting was comparing the Starward to the Queen Mary- the rest left me cold.