That Kind Of Girl

Released by: BFI
Released on: 1/25/2010
Director: Gerry O'Hara
Cast: Margaret Rose-Keil, David Weston, Linda Marlowe, Peter Burton, Frank Jarvis
Year: 1963
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The Movie:

Another oddball British exploitation film rescued from obscurity by the preservationist angels doing the Lord's work over at the BFI, That Kind Of Girl, the latest Blu-ray release in their Flipside line of cult film releases, the film offers a fascinating and oh so stylish look back at the London of the early sixties and the culture it was breeding at the time.

The film follows a saucy little tart named Eva (Margaret Rose) who is, shall we say, a bit of an attention whore. Deep inside she knows it's not cool to string along different guys at the same time, but she does it anyway because, quite simply, she enjoys it. She gets pampered, they take her out and wine her and dine her, and with her family back in her native Austria, she doesn't have much in the way or moral judgment to worry about. This brings us to a guy named Max (Franck Jarvis) who likes Eva quite a bit but spends all of his time toiling away at the library where he is employed because his financial situation is such that he has to save as much money as he's able. This predicament means that the wining and dining that Eva expects is going to be hard to come by. Regardless, Max decides to spend a bit and take Eva to a club where they going to check out some live music and imbibe with the notoriously strong drinks that the bar is known to serve up.

While out with Max, Eva meets an older man named Elliot (Peter Burton) who is more than just a bit of a charmer. He talks Eva up and before you know it, the pair are tearing up the dance floor and Max's date has just given her digits to another guy. Elliott wants to take her out for a night on the town, and she's down with the idea, but before she can agree she has to get the okay from Mr. and Mrs. Millar. She does just that and before you know it, Elliot and Eva are at a very fancy night club where they watch a female dancer perform a strip tease. Realizing that Eva is a bit out of her element, they leave but much to Elliott's dismay, Eva doesn't go home with him, instead she goes back to her place alone. Eventually Max invites Eva out on a different date, to a "Ban the Bomb" march where he ensures her she'll have a great time meeting all sorts of interesting people. Once they get there, however, bored Eva rejects Max's advances and misses the bus. Here she meets yet another guy named Keith (David Weston) who gives her a ride and, despite his impending marriage, asks her out for a drink. She agrees and takes him to the bar that Max introduced her to earlier. But there's more on her mind than booze, and Elliot turns out to be more than he seems as it all leads up to an odd twist ending that you may or may not see coming.

Entertaining and reasonably sleazy in tone and style, That Kind Of Girl moves at a good pace and features style to spare. It's a great looking movie, making excellent use of the high contrast black and white film stock it was shot on, and it zips along at a good pace as it builds to its (now very dated) moralistic conclusion. We're not really asked to pity Eva, she obviously puts herself in her situation and could have easily avoided the outcome she winds up with, but at the same time we do have to wonder if the selfishness and naivety of youth, something we all deal with while growing up, really deserve as harsh a punishment (and yes, it is a punishment) as is doled out here.

Full of some great location footage and a nifty jazzy soundtrack the film is quirky and cool and always neat to look at even if it preaches a bit and maybe even looks down its nose at its intended audience - did the filmmakers really expect this movie to appeal to the adults of the era? Don't let that deter you, however. If you want some great time capsule footage, a killer soundtrack, plenty of eccentric dialogue and healthy doses of inoffensive sleaze, this'll do the trick quite well.

Video/Audio/Extras:

The BFI's 1.33.1 fullframe 1080p high definition transfer, taken from the film's original negative, is excellent. There's a healthy coat of natural looking film grain present throughout but no real print damage and the tonal reproduction of the black and white image is very strong and natural looking, without ever looking artificially pumped up. Though it does look like a bit of DNR has been applied in some shots, eliminating some fine detail along the way, this is sporadic and not constant and really not that big of a deal. Shadow detail is also strong, with nice inky black levels staying strong and consistent without smearing the backgrounds or hiding anything from the camera. Close up shots of the actors are very crisp and even the frequent scenes that take place in dreary, smoky, dark night clubs look quite good.

The English language 48 kHz/24 bit PCM 2.0 Mono track, which comes with optional closed captioning in English only, doesn't have a ton of range and shows the limitations of its source but is otherwise fine, especially when the music kicks in. There are no problems with hiss or distortion to complain about nor are there any issues with the levels. The film's soundtrack in particular (which from a technical stand point is one of the more important aspects of the production - lots of jazz here for those who dig it) sounds quite good with a nice, strong low end and some really impressive clarity showing off every instrument in every song. On top of that, the dialogue is always crisp and clear and perfectly balanced.

As usual, the BFI have included some fascinating and complimentary extras, starting with The People at No.19 (18:14), a short film about adultery and an ensuring pregnancy that, while dated, fits the themes of the feature quite well. A second short film is also included in the form of No Place to Hide (9:20), which is a look at the 'Ban the Bomb' demonstration where that ensued between Aldermaston to London. A third bonus short, A Sunday in September (28:00) is an interesting documentary that covers a a nuclear disarmament demonstration that took place in London and which features Vanessa Redgrave of all people, in addition to John Osbourne. These are interesting enough on their own but when viewed in context alongside the feature, they really make for great additional viewing subjects. All of these shorts are presented in HD.

There's also a Robert Hartford-Davis Interview (14:00 and also in HD) included here where the film's producer talks about putting this project together, working with the director as well as the cast and crew, and about the film's enduring appeal and time capsule qualities. Rounding out the extras on the disc are some keen menus and the film's original theatrical trailer. The BFI have also included a very nice booklet of liner notes that features essays from film historian Cathi Usworth, director Gerry O'Hara and bios for a few of the key players. The book also includes biographical and credit information for the feature and the included short films.

The Final Word:

While it may not be the 'shock film of the year' that its original marketing campaign hyped it as, That Kind Of Girl remains a fascinating an marginally sleazy look back at the socio-political ideals of sixties era London and the people who inhabited it. Throw in some great extras alongside an excellent transfer and you can see how this release is very appealing indeed.