Judging from the user reviews, this movie has many, many fans, who find it deeply affecting no matter how many times they see it. There definitely are things to enjoy about this film: the locations, the cinematography, the music (definitely the music, including the haunting original score), and most of the actors, who make good use of their often fleeting screen time and scant dialogue. I completely understand how a very young person with very simple, romantic notions of love would easily fall in love with "Interlude". Older people who have been around the block a time or two, however, might be much less likely to find it convincing. The trouble is that the story is so lacking in character development that the bond between the central couple makes no sense beyond physical infatuation. The "heroine", Sally, played by the excruciatingly cute Barbara Ferris, is a chirpy young reporter whose improbably clever ripostes and picture-perfect Swinging Sixties hair, makeup, mini-dresses, and trendy flat fail to compensate for the fact that she has all the depth of a refrigerator magnet. World-famous symphony conductor Stefan, played by Oskar Werner, looks great at the podium (especially when surrounded by dramatic black-and-white blowups of his photogenic face), dresses elegantly and drives a fabulous car, but we simply have to assume that he, too, is genuinely lovable. These assumptions require a hefty imaginative leap for anyone experienced in the complexities of life. And you will think to yourself what poor use was made of talents like Oskar Werner and Virginia Maskell (playing Stefan's wife) in this film, and how wonderful the two of them might have been in a mature love story. But hey, as I said there is much to enjoy, visually and musically, in "Interlude" -- so grab some popcorn and enjoy it on its own terms. And if you're no longer a teenager, don't bother with kleenex -- there may be tears aplenty in this movie, but your eyes will be dry.
Review of Interlude
