Breezy

Directed by Clint Eastwood, Breezy follows a free-spirited teenager (Kay Lenz’s Breezy) as she charms her way into the life of a successful (and closed-off) real-estate agent named Frank Harmon (William Holden). Filmmaker Eastwood, armed with Jo Heims’ script, delivers a predictably slow-moving drama that grows more and more absorbing as it progresses, as Eastwood does a superb job of establishing (and sustaining) an exceedingly agreeable atmosphere that’s perpetuated by the captivating efforts of its stars – with Holden and Lenz’s top-tier work here certainly going a long way towards smoothing over the various bumps in the lackadaisical narrative. The picture’s overall impact is, in addition, heightened by the continuing presence of intriguing, compelling scenes and interludes (eg Frank has an honest conversation with a friend about marriage and loneliness, Frank and Breezy have an awkward encounter with Frank’s bitter ex-wife, etc), and there’s little doubt that the genuine chemistry between Holden and Lenz’s respective characters proves integral in cementing the movie’s overall impact – which, when coupled with a satisfying finale, ensures that Breezy ultimately comes off as above-average May-December romance (albeit one that admittedly does possess an older-man wish-fulfillment-fantasy component).

*** out of ****