My review was written in September 1983 after watching the film on Vestron video cassette.
Lensed in 1979 under the title "Valentine", "Separate Ways" is a small-scale romantic film released in 1981 and currently a pay-tv and home video title,
Karen Black toplines as Valentine, an unfulfilled housewife married to former racing car driver (now running an inherited car dealership into the ground) Ken Colby (Tony Lo Bianco). Studying art at a local college, Valentine takes up romantically with a young student (David Naughton) after she sees her husband having an affair on family's boat, named after her (and film's original romantic title).
Ultimately she splits, getting a waitress job at a low-down night club run by Jack Carter. The Colbys finally reconcile, with a lightweight climax of hubby winning a racing trophy.
Husband-and-wife filmmakers Marlene Schmidt and Howard Avedis (latter an Iraqi emigre director formerly billed as Hikmet Avedis) have fashioned a romantic drama in the vein of Claude Lelouch's hit "A Man and a Woman" that is attractively lensed (by since-graduate to major pics Dean Cundey) but lacks bite. Acting by a big cast is okay and should help in attracting an audience in eventual tv broadcast slottings. Appearing in a small role as couple's young son is Noah Hathaway, currently toplining in the German fantasy epic "The Never-Ending Story" but not making much of an impression here.
