Natalie Wood was an actress who really flourished under a tight direction. Robert Mulligan seems to know just what to do with her in this comedy-drama about pre-marital sex and its consequences, unlike Paul Mazursky ("Bob, Carol, Ted & Alice") who was too loose or Douglas Trumball ("Brainstorm") who was too distracted. Mulligan is graceful with Wood, but strict as well. She comes off forceful, headstrong and attractive. Of course, having strong, easy Steve McQueen as a co-star didn't hurt, and Tom Bosley is very funny in a supporting role (the sequence at his family's house could very well have gone too far, and probably does, but the nimble staging of it made me laugh). A perceptive and lovely movie which allows its two main characters to grow. They think on-screen, they whisper to each other, they fight. It isn't as gritty as I would have liked (and it has that standard happy ending), but it isn't cluttered up with gimmicks either. Extremely pleasant viewing, and Wood and McQueen together have a warmly real, smooth-and-scratchy rapport. *** from ****
Review of Love with the Proper Stranger
