A New Kind of Love (1963)

Why the 15 others who reviewed this before me didn't much care for it I don't understand. Melville Shavelson's script is very intelligent and often very clever, and it is delivered by a cast of uniformly first-rate actor/comedians. (It's no surprise that Shavelson also wrote the script for April in Paris, another romantic comedy set in the French capital. There, however, room had to be made for a too elderly and not really funny Ray Bolger, and the movie suffered for it. Here, with no weak links and a lot of very strong ones, Shevelson didn't have to lower the level of the comedy.) One of the things I most liked about this very likable movie is that it pokes gentle fun at a host of previous movies, from Breakfast at Tiffany's to The Women to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to .... Woodward dressed up as a parody of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's is really clever. Or is that a parody of Norma Shearer in Idiot's Delight???The one thing that won't endear this movie to feminists, and rightfully so, are the repeated pronouncements that women must get married in order to be happy and that they will be miserable until then. I suppose that was necessary to balance the implied shenanigans, but it does get old quickly. For that, try to remember that the movie dates from a fortunately bygone era.Other than that, there is lots to enjoy here. So enjoy!

Okay, so it's not an art piece, a great classic, or a stellar example of brilliant film- making. But does every movie have to be? This movie is cute, charming and clean (especially when compared to the most of the filth being made today). Paris looks gorgeous, as do Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and the haute couture fashions are to die for. Sometimes you're just in the mood for something light and frothy, where you don't need to think, analyze or criticize. This movie is ideal for that purpose. I particularly enjoyed the witty comments in the opening credits regarding the fashions used in the picture. While not worth running out and buying (although thanks to my husband and an Amazon wish list accident I do now own the DVD), it would certainly be worth watching if it ran on TV, or even renting if you have a particular fondness for this era, or these actors.

As far as pairings of Joanne Woodward and husband Paul Newman go, "A New Kind of Love" lacks the snappy plot and dramatic depth necessary to do its leading actors justice. Woodward steals the show as Sam, a homely and somewhat androgynous fashion designer often mistaken for a man (it's the pageboy haircut and constantly smoldering cigarette in her mouth); Newman is aesthetically pleasing (and alarmingly convincing) in the role of handsome, sarcastic Steve, a New York journalist who pursues more young women than hot story leads. After an initial awkward opening sequence, the first forty or so minutes of the film are stimulating, with intriguing color schemes and costumes, quick wit and acerbic dialogue, beautiful Parisian scenery and an escalating plot line. Beyond that, however, the plot seems to drag, and frequent unnecessary departures are made from it - the musical montage with Maurice Chevalier, for instance, slows the film down and only serves to severely date the film (not to mention alienate any viewer who is clueless as to who, exactly, Maurice Chevalier is.) Some scenes are played out far beyond their initial artistic effect (the split-screen sequences), while others are confusing and impede the general flow of the storyline (Steve's visions of bawdy tales played out like sports), giving the story an air of ridiculousness instead of credibility.All in all, this light comedy shines with the sheer romantic energy of Newman and Woodward (I found myself re-watching various parts of the film just to marvel at the undeniable chemistry between the two), but has none of the lasting impact of the pair's other films. It leaves one feeling a bit unsated, perhaps because of the overly-muddled plot that seems to have been convoluted merely to stretch the movie into a 90-minute romp - but the beautiful Woodward sparkles with natural talent, and Newman's on screen presence compliments hers seemingly without effort. Fans of Paul and Joanne will be charmed, but not moved, by this New Kind of Love.

I loved this movie. It was very light hearted and very sophisticated in it's own way. It was good for laughs, and anyone who likes fashion would like this movie! I enjoyed this movie! :o)