“BANK HEIST BOOTY”

By Raymond Benson

The jaw-dropping gorgeous Ursula Andress gets top billing in this British caper film directed by none other than Peter Hall, the genius stage director of most of Harold Pinter’s great works, as well as Amadeus and Equus and other brilliant pieces of art for the stage. He didn’t make many films, though, but Perfect Friday, released in 1970, happens to be in his filmography, and it’s a wacky entry indeed.

Andress stars as Lady Brit Dorset, a pampered, glamorous wife of Lord Nick Dorset (David Warner), and they team up with lower-class bank manager Mr. Graham (Stanley Baker) to pull off an elaborate heist of £200,000. Mr. Graham is really the protagonist of the story, so it’s unclear why Andress received top billing—maybe it was an exchange for her appearing nude throughout many sequences.

Graham, bored with his job, gets the idea to rip off the reserve cash from the bank where he works, so he enlists the eccentric Lord and Lady Dorset to be his cohorts. Unfortunately for Lord Dorset, Graham falls in love with his wife, and lo, there is much shagging. Lady Dorset continues to shag Lord Dorset as well, even though Nick Dorset dresses as if he’s a member of a 1967 psychedelic pop band, complete with false eyelashes, makeup, wigs, and frilly boas.

Did we mention Perfect Friday is a comedy? It is, although the heist element of the picture is handled rather seriously, so there is a mixture of genres going on. Most of the movie is a farce of the ménage à trois, but the heist sequence is cleverly thought out and entertaining. Exactly which booty are we here for?

The script by Scott Forbes and Anthony Greville-Bell is witty and intentionally scandalous (after all, this is 1970) and is handled by director Hall with aplomb. Its improbability and Swinging London sensibility is all part of the fun.

Kino Lorber’s new high definition restoration immediately identifies it as a 1970s picture—that color film stock is unmistakable. There are English subtitles for the hearing impaired, along with a commentary by film historian and critic Peter Tonguette. The only supplements are trailers for this and other Kino Lorber releases.

Fans of British filmmaking, heist capers, and Ursula Andress’ skin tone should get a kick out of it.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON