Excellent but underrated film

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I have to add that the songs in this movie were composed by Arthur B. Rubinstein and myself, Cynthia Morrow (lyricist). We were very proud and gratified to have Roslyn Kind's beautiful voice, and the late Johnny Pate's gorgeous arrangement. Our male singer was also fabulous, and I can't remember his name. If anyone remembers it, could you write in here and let me know? Thanks. It was great fun writing for this movie. The first song Arthur and I came up with was called, "An American Love Affair", the original proposed title for the movie. It summer up the battle of the sexes in a very amusing way, and we both loved it, but when the title was changed the song would up, as so many great songs do, on the cutting room floor. Still, I've always thought that "Love Is Easy" is a classic, and that "Sooner Or Later" was just plain fun. My voice is actually the high soprano in "Sooner Or Later", as Roslyn is an alto, and we wanted to punch up the vocal, so we did it as a trio. Good times. Cynthia Morrow

Dr Diana Dawson (Victoria Principal) is a California marine biologist who files a suit against GJS Constructions proposal to escavate the oceanline. The lawyer for GJS is Bob Gifford (Gill Gerrard), a reknowned womaniser, who wants to make Diana a conquest, but Diana is a vowed celibate. She dates him to learn his case strategy but soon both learn to change their behaviour. Will Bob withdraw from the defence citing a conflict of interest? Will Diana testify that she loves him?Principal looks very beautiful, wearing her hair up for Diana's serious scenes, produces a witches cackle when drunk, and is funny when deflecting the insult of a female rival.The teleplay by Philip Mishkin, Rick Podell and Michael Preminger make Diana bookish and clumsy, a woman who resents how attractive she is and how it works against her intentions, but also makes Bob aware of his own manipulative behaviour. The hero worship of Bob's friends is adolescent projection, and Diana is given a housemate Dee (Judy Strangis) who is promiscuous but unhappy to enforce the moral superiority of Diana's position, which is a reaction to a prevous betrayal.Director Steve H Stern uses split screen at one point, but his treatment progressively winds down in energy, only redeemed by the sniping of Diana's soon-to-be divorced parents Wally and Martha (Robert Webber and Barbara Barrie). Stern also uses two songs on the soundtrack by Arthur B Rubinstein with vocals by Barbra Streisand's sister Roslyn Kind.