The System

CinemaSerf6/10

Dec 2, 2024

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Oliver Reed is "Tinker". He cuts quite a dashing sight as he and his gang seek a good time in the resorts of Devon. No woman is safe from their charms as they intend to seduce their way through the visiting female population. The eponymous "System" was cleverly devised enabling them to assess the suitability of their marks - allowing the maximum of "fun" and the minimum danger of any sort of commitment. For a while it works until, that is, Reed falls foul of his own methods and becomes smitten with Jane Merrow ("Nicola") the daughter of a wealthy visitor who is quite capable of protecting herself from his advances. What now ensues is their cat ad mouse game, both vying for upper hand and we get a modicum of enjoyment watching the tables turned on the charismatic, and photogenic Reed. The photography can be quite intimate, we feel included to a certain extent in their antics, and it's got quite a decent mod-beat soundtrack starting off with, an admittedly poor, title song from the Searchers - and that all serves to set the scene quite well for this depiction of the callowness of their youth. At times, it authentically delves into the seedier, occasionally violent, side of 19060s Britain, and there is quite an interesting scene where Merrow walks the length of the esplanade (fully clothed) being eyed up by dozens of men in their budgie-smugglers - it is as if they are actually on parade for her, though they'd never admit as much. It's shallow, but I think it's meant to be - and though it really struggles to retain any potency 50-odd years later, (by 2008, it had be re-rated as a 12) it is still quite an interesting observation of the almost tribal behaviour of both sexes when "let loose". The acting is nothing special, it has to be said - this is very much film to look at, and is worth that, still.