Send him back! An ungodly bore from the UK and director Alan Bridges stars Alan Bates as an Army captain returning home from duty in World War I with his memory impaired (probably not an overused story function in 1918 when Rebecca West published her novel, but now a self-defeating cliché). Seems Bates remembers old flame Glenda Jackson but not current wife Julie Christie, which should be enough to set off some emotional sparks. Instead, this chilly adaptation by screenwriter Hugh Whitemore is simply a star-studded non-starter. There are less than a handful of strong scenes (it picks up whenever Jackson is around), Bridges' pacing is unrelievedly sluggish, and the dulled-out color from cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt is enervating. "Soldier" sat on the shelf for three years ("due to legal complications") and is best left forgotten. One BAFTA nomination: for Frank Finlay as Best Supporting Actor. *1/2 from ****
Review of The Return of the Soldier
