That was an excellent one.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I love the idea behind "Vacation from Marriage". After all, with spouses separated for years during WWII and with so much social upheaval, it's not surprising that marriages were seriously disrupted, strained and often ruined. Yet, oddly, very, very few films talk about it. Off the top of my head, the only other one which addressed this was "The Best Years of Our Lives".The film begins with a married couple (Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr) living very, very ordered and predictable lives together. But because of the war, he is drafted in and she soon volunteers for the service. Due to their experiences, they both slowly evolve in unexpected directions. And, the more they change, the more they both start to wonder if the marriage can stand these changes. After all, neither wants to go back to their old, dull lives. Yet, because they haven't seen each other in three years, neither is sure how to address this when they meet. Overall, it's a very well acted film--with lovely writing and adept direction. Well worth seeing.By the way, at one point in the movie Robert Donat's character is talking with Ann Todd and she talks about explorers. She then says that Captain John Smith married Pocahontas. As a retired history teacher, I cringed, as she married John Rolfe. In fact, according to some accounts, she couldn't stand Smith!

We saw this movie years ago on AMC and taped it. Fortunately, it is now available on DVD. The US version is shorter by 9 minutes, and I keep wondering what I have missed. It would be nice if the "Perfect Strangers" full version could be had.I won't repeat any of the plot here, but I will mention a few scenes and details that might be missed. First off, the attention to detail is fabulous. The funky London smokestacks, the military uniforms, the barrage balloons, even the casting-off drill on the WREN's launch. Robert's love interest Elena is of course a member of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service, in a spot-on white dress uniform.As some other reviewers have pointed out, the ending is not as good as it could have been. The argument in the street is rather contrived, and I always wonder what happened to Chief Petty Officer McAllister - he just sort of wanders off at 3 or 4 in the morning, with no obvious place to go. This scene needed to be redone! But far and away the best scene in the movie is when Robert and Cathy finally set eyes on one another in the pub. In particular, Cathy stares and stares at Robert, seemingly forever, not believing her eyes. I don't know how Deborah Kerr managed this, but Cathy somehow looked Robert up and down, without changing the position of her eyes. It is awesome!

This outstanding gem had me hooked from beginning to end. Although the subject matter, a relationship between husband and wife that derails after a three year separation, is common enough the strong performances of the main characters kept me interested in their lives, their growth, and ultimately the outcome of their reunion. Robert Donat has never been one of my favorite actors but here he shines as the husband who, having grown as an individual during the war is utterly bewildered by his wife when he meets her on his leave. As for Deborah Kerr, she is utterly enthralling. She is capable of convincingly portraying both a plain Jane as she does here and in "Separate Tables" and a glamorous heart-stopper as in the pub scene, when Donat sees her for the first time after their three year separation. In fact, I would say that I liked her performance here better than in "From Here to Eternity" for which she was also nominated for an Oscar. I also can't say enough about the camera work. There are numerous scenes worthy of portraits. One in particular stands out, at the very end, where Kerr is sitting at her picture window looking out over bombed out London. It's enough to take your breath away.I only have two criticisms: Kerr's character doesn't need to powder her nose repeatedly. One time is enough to make it clear that she has left her unglamorous self behind. More than once seems vain. But then again perhaps the director intended that. I also have a problem with the final scene. I think it's rushed, almost as if the director ran out of time. After the rancor and vitriol that Kerr and Donat hurled at each other it seems unlikely they would have embraced so passionately so soon. To get to that point they needed more dialog to resolve their differences. In its absence I would have preferred it if they had just held hands leaving their ultimate destiny more ambiguous and thus more realistic.

There are certain stories that are so original and intrinsically entertaining that they get reinvented every 20 or 30 years. Case in point, "The shop around the corner", which became "In the good old summertime" and finally "You've got mail". That's the kind of originality that runs through this story. Premise: A young married couple about to be parted for 3 years, both to do duty in her Majesty's Royal Navy in WWII. He's timid and boring. She's mousy and sickly. He becomes bold and manly. She blossoms into an attractive and assertive woman. Both now dread having to meet each other again after several years separation, remembering only how each partner use to be like. What happens when they meet again is pure fun. Why are there no remakes of this terrific story? We've had plenty of new wars to use as a background. People still change, sometimes for the better, during long separations. I have a VHS copy of this story taped from TV years ago. I only wish they would sell this movie again, while we wait for the updated script someone should write.