Count Your Blessings

1959, Movie, NR, 102 mins

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Filmed in France and England, this lightweight attempt at sophisticated comedy falls flat as a flapjack under Negulesco's lifeless direction and Tunberg's turgid adaptation of the novel by Nancy Mitford. Kerr and Brazzi have been married quite some time and even have a son, Stephens, age nine, but they've not lived together for a long time, nor have they had the opportunity for a proper honeymoon. Why, you ask? Well, it all happened during WW II when Brazzi met and wed and impregnated Kerr during a whirlwind three-day pass. Since then, he's been flying off to various trouble spots and fighting wars for France in Indochina, Lebanon, and Algeria. He finally comes home but trouble erupts immediately when Kerr discovers that Brazzi has a number of lady friends as well as one official mistress, Medina. They are all waiting for Kerr to toss Brazzi out so they can move in and take over his care and feeding. Kerr can't fathom this kind of life but Chevalier, Brazzi's uncle, explains that this is the way a Frenchman must live. It's nothing personal toward her, only a Gallic tradition. Now Kerr discovers that Stephens has been keeping his parents apart deliberately because the moment the two get together, they only have eyes for each other and he feels neglected. When they separately take him, he is indulged to his heart's content. Stephens runs away and his by-now separated parents unite in an attempt to find him. On this journey, they rediscover their love for each other. They find their son and unite as a happy family. Mitford had written a somewhat spicier story than the one used in this film. Brazzi's amours are glossed over so quickly that they hardly seem worth a mention in this squeaky-clean script that wastes Chevalier's time and ours. leave a comment
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Count Your Blessings
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