X, Y and Zee (1972)
I was very excited to watch X,Y and Zee, since I absolutely love Michael Caine and the plot synopsis made me think Elizabeth Taylor would shine in a villainous role. I’ll cut to the chase: this is a fantastic movie. But it wasn’t at all what I was led to believe.
According to Imdb, Liz plays a “venomous and amoral” woman who “tries, any way she can, to break up the blossoming romance” between Michael Caine and Susannah York. That sounds fun, but that isn’t the story. Liz and Michael are a happy, sexy married couple, but for no reason exposed at the time, Michael hits heavily on Susannah at a party. He tells her he wants to have an affair with her, and Liz can smell trouble from across the room, so she strikes up a conversation with the soon-to-be other woman and tries to stress how happy their marriage is. It doesn’t work, and soon Michael and Susannah have an affair.
Here’s where it gets fascinating. There’s much more than a love triangle in this movie. It’s a movie about two couples: Michael and Liz, and Michael and Susannah. At first, the dynamics seem completely different. With Liz, there’s fighting, quips, screams, violence, and drama. With Susannah, there’s quiet, calm, and domesticity. As the movie continues, the black and white blends into intriguing grays. Susannah starts to show the promise of drama; Liz shows her deeper love and desire for a quiet family life. The realism makes you cringe. It’s almost embarrassing to watch because you feel like you’re intruding on their lives.
And the most interesting part of the story? Liz knows her husband has a mistress. He comes and goes as he pleases, and although a divorce is not threatened or promised, no one seems to ask the question, “Why can’t you choose?” He doesn’t leave his wife; he just inserts another woman into the picture. This gives Liz hope. This is her motivation. Whatever she does to try and get him back is motivated by intense love. It’s beautiful and sad, and it makes you question how far you’d go to keep the love of your life.
By the way, I didn’t give any spoilers. Everything I described is shown to the audience during the first 20-30 minutes of the movie, so don’t worry. X,Y and Zee is the type of movie that makes you want to talk about it afterwards. I loved it. I loved how it made me think about the characters, the questions it posed, and the unexpected sympathies it drew. And earning great respect in my book, the movie shies away from nudity or sex scenes, but it’s incredibly steamy. Put the kids to bed and watch this one with your honeybun. It’ll be a lot of fun!
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Michael Caine movies here!
More Elizabeth Taylor movies here!
More Susannah York movies here!
According to Imdb, Liz plays a “venomous and amoral” woman who “tries, any way she can, to break up the blossoming romance” between Michael Caine and Susannah York. That sounds fun, but that isn’t the story. Liz and Michael are a happy, sexy married couple, but for no reason exposed at the time, Michael hits heavily on Susannah at a party. He tells her he wants to have an affair with her, and Liz can smell trouble from across the room, so she strikes up a conversation with the soon-to-be other woman and tries to stress how happy their marriage is. It doesn’t work, and soon Michael and Susannah have an affair.
Here’s where it gets fascinating. There’s much more than a love triangle in this movie. It’s a movie about two couples: Michael and Liz, and Michael and Susannah. At first, the dynamics seem completely different. With Liz, there’s fighting, quips, screams, violence, and drama. With Susannah, there’s quiet, calm, and domesticity. As the movie continues, the black and white blends into intriguing grays. Susannah starts to show the promise of drama; Liz shows her deeper love and desire for a quiet family life. The realism makes you cringe. It’s almost embarrassing to watch because you feel like you’re intruding on their lives.
And the most interesting part of the story? Liz knows her husband has a mistress. He comes and goes as he pleases, and although a divorce is not threatened or promised, no one seems to ask the question, “Why can’t you choose?” He doesn’t leave his wife; he just inserts another woman into the picture. This gives Liz hope. This is her motivation. Whatever she does to try and get him back is motivated by intense love. It’s beautiful and sad, and it makes you question how far you’d go to keep the love of your life.
By the way, I didn’t give any spoilers. Everything I described is shown to the audience during the first 20-30 minutes of the movie, so don’t worry. X,Y and Zee is the type of movie that makes you want to talk about it afterwards. I loved it. I loved how it made me think about the characters, the questions it posed, and the unexpected sympathies it drew. And earning great respect in my book, the movie shies away from nudity or sex scenes, but it’s incredibly steamy. Put the kids to bed and watch this one with your honeybun. It’ll be a lot of fun!
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Michael Caine movies here!
More Elizabeth Taylor movies here!
More Susannah York movies here!