Friends of mine who have watched Sweet November (1968) have commented on its implausibility. Without revealing the plot, it can be said that certainly a little "willing suspension of disbelief" will be required to appreciate this film fully.
And yet, ironically, the plot of Sweet November itself seems to be an exploration of the costs of "plausibility" and the benefits of creativity, of taking time to absorb meaning, and to appreciate the "implausible" wonders of everyday life. Without doubt this was a big theme of the 1960s (especially Hollywood of the 1960s) but it still seems pretty relevant and enduring today. There is a very rich layer of philosophy beneath this film's windswept, romantic exterior, strangely overlooked by the professional critics.
Much of this philosophy is embodied in the film's brilliant lead, Sandy Dennis. Her character is a wonderful departure from the typical romantic heroine. Dennis' surface vulnerability conceals a wise and unforgettably strong character, a person who gets to the heart of things by indirection rather than through precision. Dennis' Sara Deever slowly leads Anthony Newley's Charlie Blake to a new way of seeing the world and his place in it, and he's forever changed from having known and loved her.
Again, the details of the plot are best left to the film itself. Suffice it to say that intelligent acting, a distinctive and intriguing storyline, even poetry are all contained in "Sweet November". One couldn't ask for much more in a film than that.
And yet, ironically, the plot of Sweet November itself seems to be an exploration of the costs of "plausibility" and the benefits of creativity, of taking time to absorb meaning, and to appreciate the "implausible" wonders of everyday life. Without doubt this was a big theme of the 1960s (especially Hollywood of the 1960s) but it still seems pretty relevant and enduring today. There is a very rich layer of philosophy beneath this film's windswept, romantic exterior, strangely overlooked by the professional critics.
Much of this philosophy is embodied in the film's brilliant lead, Sandy Dennis. Her character is a wonderful departure from the typical romantic heroine. Dennis' surface vulnerability conceals a wise and unforgettably strong character, a person who gets to the heart of things by indirection rather than through precision. Dennis' Sara Deever slowly leads Anthony Newley's Charlie Blake to a new way of seeing the world and his place in it, and he's forever changed from having known and loved her.
Again, the details of the plot are best left to the film itself. Suffice it to say that intelligent acting, a distinctive and intriguing storyline, even poetry are all contained in "Sweet November". One couldn't ask for much more in a film than that.