Deep End Movie Review

Jane Asher is a fine actress whose well-publicized social life offscreen has eclipsed virtually everything she's ever done onscreen. In the case of the rarely shown Deep End, it's a shame, because her performance here is outstanding. John Moulder-Brown is 15-year-old Michael, who gets a job as a Men's Attendant at London's Newford public bath-house. He falls hard for Women's Attendant Susan (Asher), who's about eight years older. She's having a not particularly satisfying relationship with an older man and is touched, at least at first, by Michael's crush on her. But as time wears on, she can no longer juggle all the disparate elements of her life, and Michael is devastated by her growing disinterest in his devotion to her. Inevitably, something has to give, and it does in a way that startles this mismatched pair as much as it does us. Deep End is a shockingly overlooked study of adolescent obsession at its most extreme, meticulously scripted and directed and remarkably acted by the two leads. Don't miss it!

1970 88m/C GB GE Jane Asher, John Moulder-Brown, Diana Dors, Karl Michael Vogler, Christopher Sandord; D: Jerzy Skolimowski; W: Jerzy Skolimowski, Jerry Gruza, Bloeslav Sulik; C: Charly Steinberger; M: Cat Stevens. VHS