Marjorie Lee(Nancy Kwan) has always been a respectable girl. She
holds a respectable office job at a respectable British cosmetics
company. Andy, her fiance, the only love in her life, is the kind of
serious, decent, career-minded man that any respectable girl should be
happy to settle down with. But it is the day of the office Christmas
party, and Marjorie wonders whether somehow she has missed out on
something called Life. She also wonders what is behind the facades
that her co-workers wear to work: Her boss Godfrey(Terry Thomas), that
upright Captain of Industry, who discretely glances at her legs.
Mavis, the frumpy middle-aged secretary who seems a bit too attached
to Godfrey. Monica, the Godfrey's cold and efficient personal
assistant, who always knows when Godfrey's wife is out of town.
Ralph, the loving husband and father-to-be, whose dark handsome eyes
also seem to follow Marjorie when he thinks she isn't looking. Tiny
Hearst, the always jocose middle aged man, anything but tiny, who
lives alone. And Marjorie's best friend Jill, good sensible Jill. As
the party progresses, bottles pop open, spirits flow, and her
co-workers masks begin to come off. In the process the always
respectable Marjorie Lee sheds her inhibitions to become fun-loving
Sandra Lee. Based on the novel "The Last Hours of Sandra Lee", Nancy
Kwan has an interesting dual role as the respectable Marjorie who is
goaded by the wild Sandra, the reflection only she can see in the
mirror. The film has some genuinely funny moments, usually revolving
around Margie/Sandra fending off the advances of would-be suitors.
But the most memorable aspect of the film is the way Nancy Kwan,
smartly strolling around London with her new Vidal Sassoon haircut and
sleek Mary Quant outfits, perfectly captures that very sixties "Mod"
look.
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