Favorite movie scenes 90 - The Grouchy Edition 1

White Mischief (1987) is a ridiculously bad movie, about these decadent rich people and their sex orgies in exotic places. It stars Greta Scacchi, who was trying to be sort of the European Kathleen Turner, and starring in equally ill-advised so-called sexy movies, heavier on the kitch and loathsome factor than anything erotic.

The two highlights of this movie are a handsome Charles Dance, looking his finest. He couldn't act badly if he tried. And this fabulous moment when Greta shows up at this day club where all the rich people meet. She's wearing a green hat that sets off the green in her eyes in the most amazing way. You simply can't take your eyes from this vision of beauty, and you want to stare and stare. These are the moments that fashion and the movies dream of. But everything is downhill from there.

A very young Hugh Grant makes a very short appearance as her lover, right before she dumps him to become the purely trophy wife of an elder rich man, and sails off to the before mentioned exotic locale.

Sarah Miles (famous for Ryan's Daughter) is also in it, and you know the minute she shows up this is going to be a diseased and neurotic and absurd movie, because that's all she's ever interested in doing. But in this film she really loses her rockers. I doubt she's ever done anything crazier than this, and I don't intend to watch her whole filmography just to find out. There's a scene where the man she loves has died, and she's at the mortuary saying her goodbyes. Even though other people are present, she decides it's a great idea to start fondling herself down there, and then to rub those same fingers on the dead man's lips. That's her tender way of saying adieu. The fact that nobody acts shocked, and that they just soothe her, as if she's done nothing more irrational than start to cry, gives you an inkling of how berserk this movie is.

However... there's this one moment that I often find myself remembering when I'm grouchy. After that man's burial she wakes up and it's a new day. We see her walking away from us, going to the balcony, and staring out at this breathlessly gorgeous view. And, true to her character, all she can think of to say before this earthly paradise is:

- Oh God, not another fucking beautiful day.

Later we are told she's killed herself. I guess she really was pissed off at the weather. Gives a whole new meaning to Groundhog Day syndrome, don't it?