In 1978, the Israeli period sex comedy Lemon Popsicle not only broke domestic box office records but also achieved good commercial results internationally. As in so many cases, that success was quickly exploited, leading to the 1979 film Lemon Popsicle 2, also known under the title Going Steady, directed by Boaz Davidson.
The plot is again set in late‑1950s Tel Aviv and follows the adventures of three teenage friends – the slightly nerdy protagonist Bentzi (“Benji” in the English version, played by Yftach Katzur), the good‑looking seducer Momo/Bobby (played by Jonathan Segal) and the slightly overweight joker Yudale/Huey (played by Zachi Noy). Like many teenagers, their lives revolve around sex and attempts to get as many girls into bed as possible; their efforts, at least in Momo’s and Yudale’s cases, aren’t hampered by the fact that they have steady girlfriends. When Bentzi sees the beautiful girl Tammy (played by Yvonne Miklosh), he immediately falls in love and, after some persistent courting, the two start dating. Unfortunately for Bentzi, his attempt to take the relationship to a physical level ends with the two breaking up. A series of misunderstandings and unfortunate coincidences conspire against Bentzi and Tammy getting back together, and in the end, Bentzi’s relationship with his friends – and even his life – is threatened.
Boaz Davidson didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, so Going Steady repeats the formula of the previous film. Again, the audience is served a mix of 1950s nostalgia, some crude but effective humour (especially in the first part) and some straight melodrama (especially in the second part). Again, a relatively high percentage of the budget is spent on the soundtrack, which features many of the greatest pop hits from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Davidson doesn’t bother much with continuity with the previous film, except in the case of Martha (played by Rachel Steiner), Yudale’s bespectacled girlfriend, who is still enamoured of Bentzi. This allows a little creative freedom for Davidson to stage a few interesting scenes; the most memorable is one in which Yftach Katzur performs his own rendition of Gene Kelly’s song‑and‑dance number from Singin’ in the Rain. The rest of the cast is very good, including Yvonne Miklosh, a very beautiful actress who comfortably plays the girl‑next‑door type (and who would soon abandon her acting career to become a cinematographer). Some viewers, especially those from later generations, might have problems with the protagonists behaving quite immorally and sometimes acting like stalkers or would‑be rapists. Being played by talented actors who make viewers overlook those flaws helps, as does the fact that they occasionally get their comeuppance for such antics. Going Steady is far from perfect, but it is stylishly made and can provide good entertainment even for an audience that feels nostalgia for a world that existed more than half a century ago.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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