HotToastyRag In the extremely strange and uninteresting The Romantic Englishwoman, a husband's suspicion of his wife's infidelity practically pushes her into doing it. The outline of the plot could have been turned into a comedy, but Tom Stoppard and Thomas Wiseman's script is a drama. As a result, there's really nothing and nobody in the film to really care about.Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson are the married couple, and every time she's out of his sight, he imagines that she's with another man—even though when they are together they can't keep their hands off each other and only get in small squabbles instead of real fights. Then, Helmut Berger appears, and even though he's a virtual stranger to Glenda, Michael can't help but practically push them together so that he can prove himself right. It's extremely silly, but not in a comical way. Unless you're a die-hard fan of Glenda Jackson and want to see her whip her clothes off in several scenes, I can't imagine anyone wanting to sit through this movie. The acting feels uninspired, the plot is beyond frustrating, and the characters are impossible to root for. Plus, Glenda Jackson always seems too angry to be likable.

George Wright The Romantic Englishwoman did hold my attention with its opulent settings and actors of stature, Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson, but the story left me confused. In the movie, we see an English woman named Elizabeth on holiday in Germany at a hotel resort in Baden-Baden, where she has a brief liaison with a handsome European named Thomas played by Helmut Burger. Elizabeth is an elegantly dressed and beautiful woman played by Glenda Jackson, who is married to a successful writer named Lewis Fielding, played by Michael Caine. On Elizabeth's return to England, her husband becomes aware of her friend and invites him to tea at their family home in England. Much of what follows seems to be orchestrated by Lewis who is seeking material for his novel. The extent of the "affair" between Elizabeth and Thomas is difficult to judge since they seemed to barely get to know one another, except for a quick sexual encounter in an elevator. Burger, as the Thomas character, maintains an air of mystery while in Germany and later in England as he becomes an assistant to Caine's character Lewis, doing typing and other secretarial work, and letting the nanny become infatuated with him. It seems that he has no real line of work although he purports to be a poet. Instead, he is a gigolo who consorts with underworld figures and is a skillful thief snatching another guest's overcoat, or removing in-room meals for hotel guests. The relationship between Elizabeth and Thomas seems to blossom as a full affair when they return to Europe, this time in Monaco. Thomas continues to be followed by underworld characters while sharing the affections of wealthy women. Burger lacks the acting persona to play alongside Jackson and Caine. Kate Nelligan and Michael Lonsdale are in the cast; however, their roles amount to little. Beautiful settings aside, the acting of Jackson and Caine cannot rescue this story, whatever the story is.

jotix100 Not having seen "The Romantic Englishwoman" before, we got the opportunity as it was shown on a classical movie channel recently. Its pedigree showed a lot of talent went into the production of this movie. First of all, Joseph Losey, as a director, then the screenplay written by Tom Stoppard with Thomas Wiseman, the author of the original novel, and last a cast that included Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson, so could be wrong?Lewis, the writer, is apparently blocked. His new novel is taking place in his mind as well as some of the action appears on the screen. It involves Lewis' wife, Elizabeth interacting with a man that she met at the luxurious Brenner Park Hotel and the Baden-Baden casino where a bored Elizabeth goes to get away from it all. Elizabeth is surprised as she finds Thomas, the stranger she met on the train. The novel follows loosely the novel which Lewis is trying to write. What went on at the posh resort, suddenly changes, when Thomas suddenly decides to try England for a change of pace. Thomas deals in drugs, but obviously has no clue as where to hide the powdery substance in a drain pipe of the hotel. Lewis is intrigued with the prospect of having Thomas close by inviting him to stay with him as a personal secretary, infuriating Elizabeth, before she finally falls for the visitor's charms. Boredom is an element for most of the rich set around Lewis and Elizabeth, something the author cannot take. Things become a bit difficult for Thomas, who decides to leave for the Continent taking Elizabeth along, who by then has become involved with the younger man. Because of Thomas drug problem it does not take too long before the people he cheated get a hold of him, thus ending Elizabeth fascination with this pseudo poet man.This is not one of the best efforts by the distinguish director Joseph Losey. His triumphs in films like "The Servant", "Mr. Klein", "The Go Between" and other more successful films, are not reflected in this one. There are hints of his talent. The elegance he always brought to his work is present here. The posh interiors in most of the film are prominently shown. One would have wished to have seen a better copy of this film in which the emphasis is luxury in contrast with the shallowness of the character of Thomas, who uses older women in order to survive.The best thing in the film is Glenda Jackson's Elizabeth. She is a complex character with needs and desires overlooked by her husband. Feeling she is the object of Thomas' interest makes her see him in a more romantic way. Michael Caine is always a welcome presence in any film where he decides to appear. Helmut Berger's Thomas practically derail the picture. Maybe another actor would have been more credible than him. Kate Nelligan is totally wasted, even though she has top billing.

marieinkpen Is this the worst film ever made (not including Michael Winner's re-make of The Big Sleep which was almost a spoof)? It starts beautifully with Glenda Jackson looking out of a train window over Germany set to lovely music and then it's all downhill from here on in. Glenda Jackson looks stunningly beautiful but Wardrobe obviously had no idea how to dress her in anything that actually suited her, Michael Caine is rubbish as a jealous husband, no subtlety at all & even unsubtle characters require a certain subtlety of acting. He is wholly miscast as an intellectual & a creative type.Occasional flashes of style but the "plot" is muddled & aimless, the script poor, the direction & editing are an utter mess. The whole thing is very 1970s & very difficult to watch without cringing. What an utter waste of time. A hundred minutes of my life that I'll never get back.