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Show 'Live For Life?-A Touching Love Story just happen to do two important t!iings: finish up Candice Bergen's involvement in the plot and justify the ending! If, as you leave the theatre you feel that M. Lelouch has left a few loese ends blame it on whoever did the dastardly deed. Agreed, the film can stand cutting, but could you cut Jerry and the Dof from "Zoo Story," just to make it play quicker? Certainly Cer-tainly there is nothing offensive in the scenes everybody has their clothes on and nobody swears, so what's the problem? One word of warning: if you liked "A Man and a Woman," you are bound to like "Live for Life, so see it, soon! Due to advance bookings, book-ings, the film will most likely leave Salt Lake soon. It will indeed be unfortunate if those who can appreciate ap-preciate and enjoy this slightly specialized, spe-cialized, but completely rewarding fare, cannot personally judge for themselves this newest of Lelouch films, "Live for Life!" Camelot, now playing at the Cen tre, is a diverting, if somewhat disappointing dis-appointing adaptation of the successful suc-cessful but critically panned Broadway Broad-way musical. As directed by Joshua Josh-ua Logan, this versian suffers especially es-pecially when it is obvious that the director was casting on t h e absis of physical preference rather than acting ability. Franco Nero and the three duds who muddle their way through the film as the three main Knights of the Round Table are the obvious examples of this fatal mistake. Considering that Nero's singing was dubbed, it seems to us to be a totally uncalled for bit of casting, However, Vanessa Redgrave (partially (par-tially dubbed) and Richard Harris Har-ris (who sings every blasted note, and incredibly well!!) are both magnificent stars of the first magnitude. mag-nitude. Supporting players David Hemmings, Lionel Jeffries, Law-rence Law-rence Naismith, and Estelle Win-wood Win-wood are excellent. The real star of the film, however, how-ever, is John Truscott, who conceived con-ceived and coordinated the film. By C. RICHARD NELSON Claude Lelouch has fulfilled the promise he made to us with "A Man and a Woman" by producing produc-ing a beautiful and touching love story, appropriately yclept "Live for Life." While the original version ver-sion exhibited in France, "Vivre pour Vivre," is much the better for scenes which were rather unwisely cut from the American version, this edition, now playing at the Tower, is a splendid and totally satisfying example of what an extremely ex-tremely talented Frenchman can do when he is in top form. Both Lelouch (director, screenwriter, screen-writer, and cameraman) and Francis Fran-cis Lai, who has written another intensely in-tensely moving score, as he did for "A Man and a Woman," are guilty of plagiarizing their previous previ-ous effort, but we really cannot hold it against them, especially when imitation, in this case, self imitation, is the sincerest form of improvement. And even though "Live for Life" is much longer than "A Man and a Woman," Lelouch Le-louch manages to be much more economical. Especially with the ending, he has packed into minute periods of time some quite moving material. The performances are all flawless, flaw-less, but special plaudits must go to Annie Girardot, who brings off a spectacular effort. Vves Montand and Candice Bergen are both fine, and Miss Bergen accomplishes what must be her best performance to date, in a, role which is suited to her talents as well as her shortcomings. short-comings. Supporting players are all delightful, especially Anouk Aimee and Pierre Barouh, who make a. split second appearance at the boxing box-ing match be sure to watch for it! But we can only be saddened by the totally uncalled for cutting of about ten minutes of film which Candice Bergen and Yves Montand star in the Cluade Lelouch pro duction, Live For Life. |