Travels with My Aunt (1972)

Academy Awards, USA 1973

Winner Oscar	Best Costume Design Anthony Powell Anthony Powell couldn't attend the awards ceremony, as he was working on Papillon (1973) in London,... More Anthony Powell couldn't attend the awards ceremony, as he was working on Papillon (1973) in London, England. George Cukor, the film's director, accepted the award on his behalf.
Nominee Oscar	Best Actress in a Leading Role Maggie Smith
	Best Cinematography Douglas Slocombe
	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration John Box Gil Parrondo Robert W. Laing

MGM
Directed by George Cukor
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

London banker Alec McCowen is befriended by a stranger at his mother's funeral who claims to be a long-lost aunt. He gets involved with her unconventional lifestyle, following her to Europe where she tries to raise money to free an ex-lover from kidnappers. They travel by train from France to Turkey on the Orient Express. He meets lovely Cyndi Williams on board and they share a joint. They are turned away at the Turkish border so head back to Paris to try to get more money from another one of her lovers. He turns out to be McCowen's father, and his aunt is really his mother. The end up in Africa to free her hostage lover, but it turns out to be a hoax. Some fast thinking get them out of the situation and they decide to continue their travels together. Maggie Smith is excellent as usual as the aunt, but she lacks chemistry with McCowen, and the whole thing feels dated, not to mention just plain implausible.