Pat and Mike (1952)

Second viewing; first seen on January 18, 1990.

A Physical Education teacher decides to get away from her boyfriend for a while, and try her luck as a sportswoman (in golf and tennis). She finds she has a better chemistry with her agent (who is also her coach) than she had with her boyfriend.

A comedy about the effect of being watched on the watched person, a topic which has been acquiring increasing relevance in our world of today. The film seems to imply that overt 24-hour monitoring and control is liberating (because it is caring) for the one being watched, but may have a subjugating effect on the watcher. On the other hand, a casual look, smile and remark may have an insidious effect on the object, perhaps because ambiguity is more menacing than certainty. There is a subtheme of beating oneself over beating your adversary, which I am not sure is properly developed. Some of the film's comicity is derived from the somewhat ridiculous outer aspects of golfing, which the non-initiated will probably "get" better than followers of that sport. The film seems also to be a satire of both the upper and lower classes, somehow implying that when they mingle it is good for both. The intrinsic dullness of tennis is masterfully upended in a hilariously delirious sequence which sums up much of the film. Overall, this film is consistently entertaining, with a nice flow and a well thought-out progression towards the untying of its plot's knots.

Rating: 72 (up from 69)