The scene is a fashionably remodeled farmhouse in the countryside somewhere beyond London, where a prosperous and urbane couple are entertaining the wife's former roommate and friend whom they have not seen for twenty years. At first the husband and wife banter, then the friend joins them and a flood of intertwining memories ensues. The action shifts back and forth in time, as recollection of what did-or, perhaps, did not-happen are pondered and, as the tension builds, we are aware that the husband and the friend have become locked in a duel for the wife's very soul. Reveries and ambiguities abound, hinting at much more than is said, and forming together into a surprising entity which challenges the heart and mind and will linger on enticingly in the memory. Doollee.com
Old Times (1991) is currently not available on any services.
Simon Curtis
BBC
