BREEZY

Breezy is a "romantic" film--which today is otherwise known as a "chick flick"--released back in the early-seventies and directed by none other than Clint Eastwood (yes, old Dirty Harry himself!). The film stars legendary actor the late William Holden (of Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch fame) and actress Kay Lenz. Holden plays a rather cantankerous middle-aged man who gets involved in a May-December romance with a hippy-type younger girl played by Lenz who calls herself--you guessed it!--Breezy. Two things that really drew me to this picture: First, William Holden's character is actually a lot like yours truly (and people who know me--which are NOT very many people, I assure you!--will definitely know what I'm talking about!), and, second, Kay Lenz's nudie "love" scenes with Holden (who himself doesn't show anything; thank God!). Ironically, the film was actually criticized for not being "erotic" enough as Eastwood was charged by some critics as being too "polite" (Dirty Harry, polite?!) with his depiction of the "eroticism" of Holden and Lenz's lovemaking in the film given the attitudes of the time towards these type of romances. Another thing that rather intrigued me about the film is that it was in fact directed by Clint Eastwood who, let's face it, is NOT known for starring in and/or directing these type of films (The Bridges Of Madison County and Play Misty For Me being exceptions), although this film was released--though it was shelved for about a year by the movie studio because they reportedly felt it wasn't "commercial" enough--some years before his starring role as Dirty Harry cemented his status as a Hollywood icon. Another thing I enjoyed about this film (besides, of course, Kay Lenz's nudie scenes!) was the fact that it wasn't sappy-crappy like most if not all of the other romantic and/or chick flicks that's released nowadays (or shoved down the moviegoing public's throat, whichever way you want to look at it). But, then again, would you expect anything LESS from Clint "Make My Day!" Eastwood? Well?