The Knack ... and How to Get It

The Knack ... and How to Get It (1965) - 8/10

Directed by Richard Lester
Starring Michael Crawford as Colin, Ray Brooks as Tolin, Donal Donnelly as Tom, and Rita Tushingham as Nancy Jones

The Knack is an enjoyable, quickly-paced, and darkly comedic take on the traditional love story. Our protagonist is Colin, a lanky and clumsy schoolteacher who has never had the pleasure of connecting with or loving a woman. So naturally, he shares a large house with his suave roommate, Tolin, whose claim to fame is his ability to do a woman from top to bottom in under ten minutes.

A second narrative follows Nancy, who is looking for the London YWCA, but sadly keeps getting mis-directed by every person she asks directions from. Her path, inevitably, converges with that of Colin and they gradually establish an unconventional connection that blossoms into romance.

The film is truly British. And I mean that in the best possible way. The extremely dry humor, Lester's inclusion of hilariously random dialogue played over footage of real British people, and the bizarre, playful nature of every scene adds to the portrayal of a group of weird and desperately lonely people. There are some scenes, particularly one involving Colin running around a room pretending to be a lion, that are too distracting and bizarre for their own good. But the film is so much fun that I find it difficult to really criticize it for pushing the envelope.