Say Hello To Yesterday (1971)

A creepy, shiftless stalker (the charmless, untalented Leonard Whiting) pursues an uptight bitch (Jean Simmons). I kept waiting for Simmons to pull a gun out of purse and shoot Whiting but then with a shock I realized that I wasn't watching some bizarre psychological cat and mouse game like LAST TANGO IN PARIS but a bittersweet May-December romance and we were supposed to find the repulsive Whiting charming! It's clear why Whiting's career went nowhere after his big break in Zeffirelli's ROMEO AND JULIET, he's a big whole in the center of the screen. The lovely Simmons is an always welcome screen presence and though she has one strong scene near the film's end, she can't save it. The BRIEF ENCOUNTER (which the film attempts to emulate) ending is meant to be poignant and perhaps it would be in a better film. Its pretentiousness can be evidenced by the fact that neither Simmons or Whiting have a name, she the woman and he is the boy. A chore to sit through and when the end finally comes, it's a relief. Directed by Alvin Rakoff. The oh so 70s score is by Riz Ortolani.