For some reason, Julie Andrews was typecast and not allowed to appear sexy in her films. Alright, we know the reason: audiences couldn't handle Mary Poppins in a bikini. No one could hide her exquisite face, but costumes tried very hard to cover up her figure. In The Tamarind Seed, however, Christian Dior (hopefully) had a blast and showed the world that Julie was an absolute babe. And yes, she wore a bikini.
Besides the bikini, my favorite was a classy ensemble of khaki wide-legged slacks and a white cuffed crop blouse, tied and bunched in a knot above her navel. Every outfit she wore was full of class and designer quality fabrics that felt as good as they looked. Maybe Blake Edwards was anxious to show audiences what a lucky man he was; Julie even had a bedroom scene with her leading man!
But in case you don't care about Julie Andrews's figure, I'll tell you about the plot of The Tamarind Seed. It's a slow-burning romantic thriller, starting when two strangers meet on vacation. Omar Sharif and Julie are attracted to one another, but she's unwilling to enter into a physical affair. She's recently broken it off with a married man, and she needs time to heal her heart. Omar is very confident that she'll change her mind, and in his persistence, they also start seeing each other after the vacation ends. But Julie gets called into a meeting with Anthony Quayle, a British agent, who warns her against the romance. He believes that Omar is a Communist agent trying to convert Julie and extract government secrets. When she meets Omar for lunch to break things off, he surprises her by saying he has been sent to recruit her - but they should buy time by pretending it's working so they can keep seeing each other romantically.
The entire movie has a will-they-or-won't-they, is-he-or-isn't-he suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat in every scene. The seemingly simple plot keeps getting more and more complicated as the film progresses, so if you can get past the odd opening credits, you'll be in for a real treat. I found this movie much more enjoyable than Torn Curtain, so if you prefer your "Hitchcock" movies to be a little more exciting, check out Blake Edwards's take on it.
Besides the bikini, my favorite was a classy ensemble of khaki wide-legged slacks and a white cuffed crop blouse, tied and bunched in a knot above her navel. Every outfit she wore was full of class and designer quality fabrics that felt as good as they looked. Maybe Blake Edwards was anxious to show audiences what a lucky man he was; Julie even had a bedroom scene with her leading man!
But in case you don't care about Julie Andrews's figure, I'll tell you about the plot of The Tamarind Seed. It's a slow-burning romantic thriller, starting when two strangers meet on vacation. Omar Sharif and Julie are attracted to one another, but she's unwilling to enter into a physical affair. She's recently broken it off with a married man, and she needs time to heal her heart. Omar is very confident that she'll change her mind, and in his persistence, they also start seeing each other after the vacation ends. But Julie gets called into a meeting with Anthony Quayle, a British agent, who warns her against the romance. He believes that Omar is a Communist agent trying to convert Julie and extract government secrets. When she meets Omar for lunch to break things off, he surprises her by saying he has been sent to recruit her - but they should buy time by pretending it's working so they can keep seeing each other romantically.
The entire movie has a will-they-or-won't-they, is-he-or-isn't-he suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat in every scene. The seemingly simple plot keeps getting more and more complicated as the film progresses, so if you can get past the odd opening credits, you'll be in for a real treat. I found this movie much more enjoyable than Torn Curtain, so if you prefer your "Hitchcock" movies to be a little more exciting, check out Blake Edwards's take on it.