Simon and Laura

Simon (Peter Finch) and Laura (Kay Kendall) are a bickering couple, on the brink of splitting up. They're given the opportunity to revitalise their acting careers by starring in a reality TV show cum soap opera.

There's not a lot worth recommending in Simon and Laura. Potentially, it could have been a light-hearted, charming comedy, but apart from a few strings of initials ("the CIA caught VD from REM in MFI" or something like that) nothing raises a smile. There are plenty of potential targets for satire, however gentle, in the world of television, but Simon and Laura barely gets beyond a slightly annoying child, and a producer who takes his jacket off.

While Simon and Laura may predict the reality TV genre, its take on it can't really be called prescient or telling. There's no feeling that the film has dated, it's just bland and timid. The only memorable parts of the film are the sloppy editing errors in a couple of scenes.

None of the actors are bad, but not once is the audience truly engaged. Ian Carmichael is the best of the bunch, showing a few flashes of what the film could have been, but you'd be better off watching him in I'm Alright Jack.

There are plenty of worse films than Simon and Laura, but more importantly there are many, many better films. One to avoid.