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Beauty and the mentally traumatized in London and, then, Arizona
An English woman in a loveless marriage (Suzanna Love) meets a man from America involved in the dismantling and sale of the London Bridge (Robert Walker Jr.). Events eventually switch to Lake Havasu City where the bridge has been reconstructed.
Shot in early 1981, “Olivia” is a Hitchcockian psychological drama/thriller helmed by Ulli Lommel for $500,000 (which would be equal to $1.7 million today). While there are bits borrowed from “Nightmare” (1981) and “Psycho,” this isn’t a slasher.
The pace is unhurried and there’s a cinematic beauty to the proceedings with its soothing piano-oriented score, DESPITE the seedy side issue of prostitution and the troubling death scenes. Along with the artistry, there are some interesting themes, such as bad childhood experiences haunting one’s adulthood, raw sex vs making love and a woman finding her “prince.”
Suzanna is a highlight and was the director’s wife from 1979-1987. In my opinion she looks best as a brunette in glasses. She’s (unnecessarily) shown nude, but in a tasteful way; stay away if you find that disagreeable. On the other side of the gender spectrum, Robert Walker Jr is perhaps best known for playing the titular character in the 1966 Star Trek episode “Charlie X.”
There are several alternative titles, including “Double Jeopardy,” “A Taste of Sin” and “Beyond the Bridge.”
It runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in London and Lake Havasu City in west-central Arizona.
GRADE: B-
2025-03-18Where to Watch:
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