Berlanga’s third film, brimming with nostalgia for youth, romance and summer.
Set in “Europe 1918”
Berlanga’s trademark quick wit—“the highest he ever got in the army was draft dogger”.
Under 90 minutes
Breezy, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953 just the year before) and Amarcord (1973) come to mind as comparisons. Boyfriend in Sight, like Welcome Mr. Marshall! is an ensemble comedy.
The romance for 15-year old’s, cute, the end of innocence (Berlanga wants to extend this—he spoofs “adult life”- politics, war—here half the jokes are about war and the “war games” of the kids vs. the adults is a big part of the plot (if you can call it that))
Berlanga does feel akin to Preston Sturges – the collective support here like all the great films with William Demarest in the cast
Narrative symmetry with the rain coming in signifying the end of vacation/summer and going back in school for the test just how the film opened.
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