Out Of Season (1975)

On the English coast, a mother (Vanessa Redgrave) and daughter (Susan George, STRAW DOGS) run a seaside hotel. They have an antagonistic love-hate relationship which is exacerbated by the arrival of an American (Cliff Robertson) who had been the mother's lover many years ago. Directed by Alan Bridges (THE HIRELING). Though it's an original screenplay (by Eric Bercovici and Reuben Bercovitch) written for the screen, this rather tedious talkfest comes across as a film version of a play. There are only three characters in the film with two very minor characters who could have been eliminated altogether. The obvious plot might have worked if the dialogue had been more stimulating but it's just yak yak yak and it doesn't go anywhere. Even the great Vanessa Redgrave is defeated, prove positive that not even the greatest actors can't always transform mediocre material into movie gold. The location (it was shot on the Dorset coast) is smartly shot by Arthur Ibbetson (WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) and there's a nice score by John Cameron.