The Kitchen Sink was beginning to get a bit clogged up by the time
"Life at the Top" appeared. This was the sequel to Jack Clayton's "Room
at the Top" and the critical reception was a good deal cooler than it
was back in 1959 which was a pity as this is a pretty good film. Joe,
(Laurence Harvey, obviously, and very good indeed), hasn't really
changed his ways. He's still married to the boss' daughter, (now played
by a superb Jean Simmons), but he embarks on an affair with TV anchor woman Honor Blackman while wife Susan plays around with Harvey's friend Michael Craig.
There isn't a great deal that is new in Mordecai Richler's script which
basically rehashes the first picture, (and Blackman is certainly no
match for Signoret), but director Ted Kotcheff keeps it ticking along
very nicely and Oswald Morris' cinematography is definitely a bonus. In
the end it boils down to the chemistry between Harvey and Simmons and
they certainly rise to the occasion. No classic then but no turkey
either.
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