Separate Ways (1981)

A woman lives in an unsatisfying marriage to a car dealer. She catches him cheating on her which leads to her embarking on an illicit liaison of her own. She finds this essentially dissatisfying and decides to separate from her husband but in doing so finds life tough outside the safety net of their relationship, made worse by her missing her young son.Separate Ways is a slightly unusual release from Crown International Pictures. It doesn't fit the description of one of their typical genre offerings. It might feature some nudity but it is of a very half-hearted variety and in the main this is a quite a thoughtful drama in many ways. Seemingly it sat on the shelf for two years before a distributor was found to release it but this is no indication that the product is low quality, as in my opinion this is a pretty good domestic drama. It has a few interesting observations about relationships and dependencies. It benefits also from featuring Karen Black in the lead role, she is a much better calibre of actor than Crown International usually are fortunate to have any involvement with and her presence here definitely improves the film. I have found that its often the least typical Crown offerings that often are among their best and this one is no different to that rule of thumb.

I came across this movie looking through a list of films that Robert Fuller was in. A review of the cast list, and the basic scenario; and the fact that I could watch it on Amazon Prime made it an easy decision to give it a look. I enjoyed where the movie tried to go in telling a story of a couple dealing with infidelity. I thought there was good character development with the Colby's but I did wonder about the chemistry between Tony LoBianco and Karen Black; for all the nudity, the closed lip kisses seemed out of place. My only quip would be that I would have liked to see at least one scene that solidified the fact Ken and Woody were best friends; I, as a viewer was told this through casual conversation in the movie, but the movie didn't really show me that bond on screen. It also felt more like a made for TV movie sprinkled with nudity. That aside, I liked it.

One of the strangest chapters in the history of Crown International Pictures was when they picked up the independently produced SEPARATE WAYS, a movie that had actually been completed in 1979 and sat in limbo for a while as the producers looked for a distributor. It was a strange choice for C.I.P. because while the movie is rated "R" and involves infidelity, it's not a sleazefest. It is actually a sober look at both partners in a troubled marriage. The movie is well acted by Karen Black and Tony Lo Bianco, and you can sense the filmmakers were really trying to make a compelling drama, but it doesn't quite work. It feels kind of dry, kind of like what a made-for-TV movie of the era would play out if it had "R" rated elements. It's not a terrible movie, just kind of flat. A word of warning if you plan to rent or buy the movie - while the movie has been given an official DVD release, the DVD company just copied an ex-rental video cassette instead of finding the movie's negative and making a copy directly from it.

Vain, neglectful former race car driver turned automobile dealership owner Ken Colby (a fine portrayal by Tony Lo Bianco) and his sweet, but fed-up wife Valentine (a marvelously warm and appealing performance by Karen Black) are having marital problems. Not only does Ken have his hands full with his faltering business, but he's also having an affair with fetching co-worker Sheila (lovely Katherine Justice). When Valentine discovers Ken's infidelity, she has a fling of her own with nice, decent college student Jerry Lansing (the always affable David Naughton). This tasteful and thoughtful feature represents a radical departure for director Howard Avedis, who usually made such enjoyably trashy exploitation fare as "The Teacher," "Texas Detour," and "They're Playing With Fire." Avedis eschews his standard gleeful wallowing in the sleaze to offer instead an observant and compelling portrait of the difficulty found in sustaining a romantic relationship throughout the years and the severe toll a lack of open communication can have on said relationship. The uniformly excellent cast play their well-drawn and engaging true-to-life characters with commendable conviction: Lo Bianco and Black do stellar work in the lead roles (Black in particular is a total delight and looks absolutely gorgeous), with sturdy support from Arlene Golonka as Valentine's loyal, supportive best gal pal Annie Donahue, Sharon Farrell as Valentine's perky friend Karen Haskell, William Windom as Ken's excitable business partner Huey Block, Noah Hathaway as the Colby's darling son Jason, and Jack Carter as jolly bar owner Barney Brodsky. Both Dean Cundey's slick cinematography and the jazzy, tuneful score by John Cacavas and Bonnie Becker are up to speed. A poignant little dramatic sleeper.