The 1960s brought a flurry of change to society, music, and film, with countries across Europe, such as Italy and France, reinventing the cinematic medium on their own terms and showcasing stories and characters that, up to that point, Hollywood hadn't dared to depict. Of these worldwide film movements, one of the most underrated was Britain's Kitchen Sink Realism, which strove to depict the often-forgotten worlds of the country's disadvantaged youth without the glitz and glamour often associated with the swinging London image. Within this unsung genre remains an even more unsung movie: A Touch of Love. Directed by Waris Hussein in his feature film debut, the movie follows Rosamund, a young female university student who, after finding out she is pregnant after a short-lived affair, decides to keep the baby and continue her studies, no matter how complicated that may be. Recently re-released by StudioCanal, this movie proves to be both ahead of its time and poignant.
Superb Acting: Leading this drama is an unexpected star: Sandy Dennis. Many will remember Dennis for her Oscar-winning role as Honey in the film adaptation of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. A quintessential figure of the New Hollywood movement of the late 1960s, it's hard to believe how convincing she is as a mousy but determined upper-middle-class British Woman. A consummate professional, Dennis's accent work is convincing, but it is her subdued and unexplosive demeanor, even in the face of terrible distress, that sets her apart. Her stiff upper lip might tremble, but her fragile facade never breaks. While Dennis grounds the movie, Ian McKellen, in his film debut, delivers a memorable performance that raises more questions than it answers. As George, a suave TV presenter, easily seduces Rosamund, but underneath, his veneer of confidence is thin, and we are left to question if his charm is simply that or a mask to hide something much sadder.
An Exciting but Never Melodramatic Story: Hussein's entire movie plays with this question of true and faked happiness with a delicate hand. In a story like this, it's too easy to step into melodrama and create a story that is not realistic or compelling. Taking lessons from the great romantic British directors like David Lean, Hussein employs a less-is-more attitude that makes each scene more intriguing. The less Rosamund lashes out at her parents for their cold indifference, her friends for their materialistic aims, or George's superficial charm, the more we feel for her. When she finally shows her emotions near the end of the film, after giving birth, it doesn't feel cheap or over-the-top, but earned. It is the film's realism that makes its critiques of contemporary British society stick even better. Through her visits to the hospital and dealings with cold nurses and doctors, as well as friends who are more concerned with scandal than anything else, Hussein paints a picture of a society with all the means to thrive but an isolation that could destroy it all.
Without ever being a moral tale, A Touch of Love manages to bring home a message that remains relevant today through elegant storytelling and understated acting. If you're a fan of British dramas like The L-Shaped Room or Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, you will, no doubt, want to add this film to your collection.
