Surprisingly NOT based on a lurid bestseller, though it has exactly that trashy-novel-becomes-trashy-film feel, "The Greek Tycoon" is too pedestrian even to capitalize on the tastelessness of being a barely-veiled fictionalization of Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy's lives. There are a few unintentional laughs, mostly due to Anthony Quinn's inevitable scenery-chewing, but otherwise this doesn't have the verve or great trash-it's more like a run-of-the-mill TV miniseries from the era boiled down to two hours.
Quinn is well-cast at least, if alternately hammy and bored; Bisset is physically a decent choice, but as usual brings almost nothing to the part beyond looks. The supporting players are good enough, but the writing reduces them all to cliches, and thinks it's providing daring sexual electricity by having Quinn leer "Nice ass!" at every woman in the cast. (Admittedly, they seem to have been pretty much cast for such attributes.)
This is the kind of movie that serves up potentially grandiose melodrama so listlessly the main attractions become the locations, decor and clothes/ Though this being the 70s, what's meant to be the epitome of lifestyle glamour instead comes off on the budget-tourism level of a "Love Boat" episode. I saw this movie a long time ago and it left very little impression. I had hoped the passage of a few more decades would have let it ripen into fine cheese. I was wrong-it's still just Velveeta.
By the way, the film's Wikipedia entry claims it opened at #1 at the box-office, which I find very surprising. I remember when this came out, and don't recall it being very successful at all--it did have a wide release, but quickly disappeared from theaters.
Quinn is well-cast at least, if alternately hammy and bored; Bisset is physically a decent choice, but as usual brings almost nothing to the part beyond looks. The supporting players are good enough, but the writing reduces them all to cliches, and thinks it's providing daring sexual electricity by having Quinn leer "Nice ass!" at every woman in the cast. (Admittedly, they seem to have been pretty much cast for such attributes.)
This is the kind of movie that serves up potentially grandiose melodrama so listlessly the main attractions become the locations, decor and clothes/ Though this being the 70s, what's meant to be the epitome of lifestyle glamour instead comes off on the budget-tourism level of a "Love Boat" episode. I saw this movie a long time ago and it left very little impression. I had hoped the passage of a few more decades would have let it ripen into fine cheese. I was wrong-it's still just Velveeta.
By the way, the film's Wikipedia entry claims it opened at #1 at the box-office, which I find very surprising. I remember when this came out, and don't recall it being very successful at all--it did have a wide release, but quickly disappeared from theaters.