Film Review By Duncan L.

Dieterly

The Age of Consent (1969)

A delightfully bawdy comedy; about a jaded middle-aged painter, Bradley Morahan, who unexpectedly discovers a new muse. Morahan beats a retreat from the concrete jungle of New York City to reside in a shack on a barrier reef island in Australia to rejuvenate his artistic passion. While re-establishing his life he fortunately encounters several local characters one of whom is a saucy uninhibited young woman, Cora Ryan. She is working hard snorkel fishing, selling her catch to save money for her escape from her alcoholic grandmother. She plans to go to Brisbane to become a hair dresser. The young Cora is seen in several striking nude scenes that display her exceptional statuesque beauty. Morahan discovers this and immediately hires her as his model. Cora played by Helen Mirren with saucy innocence, is young, uninhibited, frequently nude and frightfully beautiful. This film predates her later Calendar Girl (2003) role. The plot thickens when the young Cora falls in love with Morahan, who is too busy being creative, producing paintings of her, to respond to her obvious charms. There is a nosy, horny neighbor widow, Coras alcoholic grandmother and a lackadaisical drifter friend of Morahan, all of whom create problems in paradise. In the end, of course all the obstacles are overcome, and the two fall in love, entwined in each others arms, in the warm waist-high surf. Director: Michael Powell Writer: Norman Lindsey and Peter Yeldham Studio: Nautilus Productions Country: Australian Stars: James Mason (Bradley Morahan) Jack MacGowen (Nat Kelly) Helen Mirren (Cora Ryan) Rating: Unrated Running Time: 103 min Color Rating: 6

Type: Romantic Comedy September 3, 2011