Take Me High (4½ Stars)

This is a film that I doubt many people have seen. It marks the end of Cliff Richard's acting career. The very few reviews I've seen of "Take me high" label it as a disaster. So why do I like it so much?

I have to confess that I'm biased. The film is set almost entirely in the centre of Birmingham, the city where I live. It was filmed in 1973, so it shows Birmingham as it was before the major city centre redevelopments of the early 1990's. This is Birmingham as it was when I was young. It brings back fond memories.

Cliff plays a young merchant banker who is expecting to be sent to New York, but instead is sent to Birmingham. Despite his initial disappointment, this is where he finds true happiness. He falls in love with the city and a girl. He lives on a barge in Gas Street basin and goes to business meetings by speedboat. Together with his lover he creates a new Birmingham food that he calls the Brumburger. Oh, and did I mention that the film is a musical? I can understand why the film has drawn so much negative criticism, but I love it.