Viewed in
2010
Premise
An insurance salesman and a disgruntled wife plot to kill her husband and run away with the insurance money.
Loved
Suspense in the second half.
Liked
Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson, and the dialogue.
Disliked
Barbara Stanwyck.
Thoughts
A solid film noir.
The best part was the colorful dialogue courtesy of the Billy Wilder/Raymond Chandler tag team. Some of the speeches/monologues were poetic to the ear, and Fred MacMurray's voice-over created vivid imagery and emotions as if watching a novel come to life.
Some of the execution was top-notch. I loved the suspense laid on thick in the second half of the film. My favorite was when the insurance salesman (MacMurray) awaits his lover/co-conspirator (Barbara Stanwyck) when his boss (Edward G. Robinson) suddenly makes an expected visit. MacMurray's acting was great, as his character talked to his boss non-nonchalantly, but with darting eyes. Robinson had some great acting moments as well.
Unfortunately, Stanwyck seemed to be the weakest link, with her wooden acting and failure to exude sexiness as the femme fatale role. It did not help that the part of MacMurray and Stanwyck falling in love was too quick to be believable, and that the step-daughter actress was prettier. Another moment that made it hard to accept was that the salesman's clammed up after the deed was done, yet his wily boss of eleven years cannot notice his behavior change?
It was fun to listen to the dialogue, get caught up in the suspense, and appreciate the film noir imagery. But the flaws made this film seem overrated with its "classic" label.
What I would change
Cast a more seductive actress as the wife.
Showing posts with label 1944. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1944. Show all posts
National Velvet
Viewed in
2011
Formats
DVD
Premise
Elizabeth Taylor stars as a 1920's butcher's young daughter who dreams of taking her pet horse to England's Grand National Sweepstakes, with the help of Mickey Rooney.
Liked
The charming performances.
Thoughts
It was pretty entertaining.
What I enjoyed the most was the acting and cast. Elizabeth Taylor (in her breakout role) had not reached her babe phase yet, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. It was amusing to also see a very young, but easily recognizable Angela Lansbury. Mickey Rooney was solid as the true lead. The supporting actors had put in some funny performances, with the youngest brother see-sawing between adorable and annoying. But the parents (Donald Crisp and best supporting actress winner Anne Revere) stole the show as quirky, loving parents.
Coming from a novel, the story structure was a bit clunky. The funny family dynamics helped distract the fact that the plot was a standard underdog sports formula. Though I liked the nice touch of writing for the twist during the climax.
Everything about the film felt old: acting style, unnatural-sounding dialog, old school sensibilities, obvious set backgrounds, and horrible focus issues. I found it utterly amusing that there was absolutely no effort from the American actors to talk with a British accent. But as a whole, this was a case where the outdatedness created an old school charm to the experience.
I was rather impressed by how well National Velvet still stood up after nearly seven decades had passed. The actors still shined, the writing created fun moments and a cool resolution, and the stunts were genuine (though I'm sure the Humane Society would freak out on what the horses had to do). Probably not Elizabeth Taylor's greatest film, but still a solid one worth watching for film buffs, as you get to see a legend making the leap.
What I would change
Nothing.
2011
Formats
DVD
Premise
Elizabeth Taylor stars as a 1920's butcher's young daughter who dreams of taking her pet horse to England's Grand National Sweepstakes, with the help of Mickey Rooney.
Liked
The charming performances.
Thoughts
It was pretty entertaining.
What I enjoyed the most was the acting and cast. Elizabeth Taylor (in her breakout role) had not reached her babe phase yet, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. It was amusing to also see a very young, but easily recognizable Angela Lansbury. Mickey Rooney was solid as the true lead. The supporting actors had put in some funny performances, with the youngest brother see-sawing between adorable and annoying. But the parents (Donald Crisp and best supporting actress winner Anne Revere) stole the show as quirky, loving parents.
Coming from a novel, the story structure was a bit clunky. The funny family dynamics helped distract the fact that the plot was a standard underdog sports formula. Though I liked the nice touch of writing for the twist during the climax.
Everything about the film felt old: acting style, unnatural-sounding dialog, old school sensibilities, obvious set backgrounds, and horrible focus issues. I found it utterly amusing that there was absolutely no effort from the American actors to talk with a British accent. But as a whole, this was a case where the outdatedness created an old school charm to the experience.
I was rather impressed by how well National Velvet still stood up after nearly seven decades had passed. The actors still shined, the writing created fun moments and a cool resolution, and the stunts were genuine (though I'm sure the Humane Society would freak out on what the horses had to do). Probably not Elizabeth Taylor's greatest film, but still a solid one worth watching for film buffs, as you get to see a legend making the leap.
What I would change
Nothing.
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