Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

Nice effects though.

i must have seen a different film!!

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

What on the surface may be construed as a typical 1960's romantic comedy is a great film with real weight. First off, as Natalie Wood's character has to stand up to her annoying brothers, who are over-protective and try to coerce her into a relationship with a nice guy played by Tom Bosley of all people (Mr. Cunningham from 'Happy Days'), it has a strong feminist message. Secondly, the film asks questions about the biggest things in life – is there such a thing as romantic love, or does lust obscure everything? And should one just settle in marriage, because, as a minor character so wisely puts it at a dinner party, "love is really an art, and like every other art, it demands practice and patience, consistent dedication and hard work."Lastly, and this is the biggest thing, the film shows what it meant to try to get an abortion before it was legal. You see, very early on in the film, Natalie Wood has told Steve McQueen that she's pregnant as a result of their one-night stand. That leads up to an extended sequence trying to get an abortion in an abandoned apartment which is horrifying, not because they "show" anything, but because it is so gritty and real, and filled with psychological pain. So here it is that you have this film with a beautiful couple with great chemistry, Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen, and you're in an emotional drama, and yet, it's one that has a sense of lightness about it, because of the strong performances they turn in, both of them delicately finding this balance. You have to love Wood's character at so many turns, as she consistently strives to find her own path in life, and her own voice. What an amazing film this is for 1963, and how timely it was seeing it in January, 2016, ominously showing what getting an abortion would be like in America if Roe v. Wade was overturned, and we went backwards during the Trump regime.

Fantastic. Well-paced yet masterfully exhilarating combination of drama, comedy, romance, and suspense in a way I've not experienced before. The character actors carry the film and inspire the notable stars to superior performances. The cynic in me assumes the films' lack of distribution in today's market is due to abortion being a topic adults decide on instead of right-wing politicians. (I'm willing to listen to arguments to the contrary.) Brilliant.Sorry for the rest of this but my submission must "contain enough lines - the minimum length for reviews is 10 lines of text."I said in seven lines what I wanted to say.

"The times, they are a'changin'." – Bob Dylan Arguably director Robert Mulligan's best film, "Love With The Proper Stranger" is a charming romantic movie about a carefree jazz musician (played by the charismatic Steve McQueen) who has a brief romantic affair with a shop-girl (played by the cute Natalie Wood) and inadvertently gets her pregnant. Rather than face her strict Italian-American family, Steve and Natalie decide to find a back street abortionist, but chicken out once the weight of what they intend to do hits them. Steve, a progressive type who sees no reason to get married, let alone limit himself to one woman, and Natalie, who sees no reason to stay with a man who doesn't adhere to her romantic and fantastical notions of true love, then part ways and go on with their lives. Of course, over the film's final hour they are slowly drawn back together and fall in love.The film's low key direction, excellent performances and lively location shooting in New York's Little Italy are top notch, but what makes the film interesting is the way it captures a mood shift in the US. This was an era of second wave feminism, contraceptives, women's liberation movements, free sex and abortion. As such, this film is filled with young people turning their backs on customs, values and family/religious codes and nervously testing the waters of the sexual revolution. By the film's end, pre WW2 romantic values and the liberative force of the 1960s, as well as issues of social norms, family obligations and personal independence, have all been reconciled. Cue the obligatory happy ending.The film was deemed sensational and risqué back in the 60s, but is pretty much status quo today. On the plus side, the film's aesthetic, which mixes fairy tale notions of romance with gritty black and white cinematography and grungy cinema verite techniques, is still pretty unique. In the following decades, cinematic feminism would take the form of "bionic women", "action heroines", chicks with "buns of steel" and leotard wearing ladies with cellulite busting super powers. Two steps forward, one step back.8.5/10 – Worth one viewing. Part of a wave of 60's gender cinema ("The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie", "Shampoo" etc etc)

changes horses in midstream from a drama to a kind of farce...but that's not a complaint, both aspects are well-done and the change is not jarring. Mulligan's direction is simple and honest and uncluttered by gimmicks. Some observations: The young men in the film all speak with a characteristic "dees, dems and dose" style Italian-American Brooklynese, and the older generation all speak with stereotypical 1st generation Italian accents. However, Angie's accent is almost non-existent. Certainly not like Marisa Tomei's in My Cousin Vinny. Had she had a thicker accent, I think her character would have been less sympathetic...funny how those accents cause one to categorize people. And consequently, Angie comes off like the most intelligent person in the film.Another minor annoyance: if Rocky and Angie had their one-night stand in the summer (as he mentions), and the action takes place sometime in the fall (they are shivering with the cold while waiting outside in one scene)...it seems inconsistent that she would still have an itty-bitty waist (emphasized by the black dress and apron) at the end of the movie, considering she must be at least 3-4 months pregnant. I do love this movie, and I watch it whenever I see it playing.