One Paragraph Movie Review: Harold and Maude

Two hundred and sixteenth film: Harold and Maude. The big brushstrokes in this movie are what it’s best known for — the surprising love story between 79-year-old Maude and 21-year-old Harold, different attitudes towards death and life, and an alienated but appealingly weird kid who stages elaborate fake suicides to crack his disinterested mother’s shell. They’re great, but my favourite bits were the subtle absurdities, like Maude’s Tarzanic yawp on a hilltop, the ostentatiousness of Harold’s mother’s house and wardrobe, and the fact that Harold is always dressed identically to his therapist. For a film absolutely packed with both quirk and props it never seems busy or ham-fisted, and sends a clear message that as I get older, I can still find love if I just starting hanging out at funerals and stealing cars. What a good time. Three and a half converted Jaguar hearses out of five.