Classic Movie Marathon Day 12: His Girl Friday (1940)

Welcome to day twelve of the Classic Movie Marathon. It's finally all over!

His Girl Friday is known as one of the greatest comedies of all time. While it has that reputation to uphold, there is something so magical to me about this film. I love dialogue. Listening to people talk at a million miles an hour is literally music to my ears. Listening to people talk over each other at a million miles an hour, and still being able to hear what is going on, is literally music to my ears. When I found out that His Girl Friday was the first film to ever have people talking over each other at all I loved it even more. To think that this movie was the one to pioneer the beauty of people talking with such character, I couldn't think of such a better way to start that trend. Because His Girl Friday is a masterpiece of a completely dialogue-made film, and yes, it is one of the funniest movies ever.

The jealous ex. It's always a downfall of leaving someone to be happy with someone else. Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) probably didn't think that her ex-husband Walter Burns (Cary Grant) would be causing a lot of trouble for her upcoming marriage to insurance salesman Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). However, Walter isn't going to give up his wife, or his ace news reporter, without a fight. When a thrilling new story arises, Walter ensures that Hildy stays within his reach to write the story. How does he do that? By having Bruce arrested for a lot of crimes he never commit, over and over again, and drawing Hildy in by this once in a lifetime story.

I'm sure His Girl Friday originally had a fantastic screenplay, as it is so filled with all the cracking dialogue in the world. But I'm sure 75% of it's comedic moments come from the improvisation of it's stars. Another interesting fact about this film is the fact that Rosalind Russell thought that Cary Grant was getting all the good lines, so she decided to hire a writer to give her some better lines. Director Howard Hawks was impartial to ad-libbing, so he didn't notice when she had all these brilliant lines that weren't really a result of the original script. Cary Grant, however, with all his excellent lines, did a lot of ad-libbing which seemed to work in the funny favour. One of my favourite lines, and possibly one of the best known lines from the movie, is "He looks like that fellow in the movies, you know...Ralph Bellamy!" Which, of course, is ironic, because he really is Ralph Bellamy. Small things may amuse small minds, but that is a tiny moment of movie genius.

My whole experience of the movie was somewhat let down by the crappy quality of the DVD I own ($3.50 from the Warehouse...it's never to be trusted), but even with the ever-changing volume and the hazy picture, I still fell in love with the movie. It has very few sets, making for that stagy sort of feel which I love. And the story isn't too bad, nor even remotely as cheesy as it sounds. It's just a really fun movie, moving at a million miles an hour. As long as the movie keeps going at a really fast pace, the movie is at it's utmost best. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell have such a great dynamic in the way they do things at the same time, whether it be battling over phone conversations or working hard to keep their job going. That is, essentially, what this movie is about. Doing two or more things at once and still having the decency to be brilliant.

What I got:

Classic Movie Marathon Day 11: The Country Girl (1954)

Welcome to day eleven of the Classic Movie Marathon. Eleven movies down, only one to go! The final movie is His Girl Friday (1940).

I didn't plan this, but the slight hitch in the schedule earlier this week actually made sense. As you should know, the royal wedding is veeeeeery soon (by the time you read this, if you do, the wedding would be well over, and I'm staying up until the wee hours of the morning to watch the whole thing) (EDIT: it's just started as I go to post this). The Country Girl, on the surface, shouldn't have much to do with that. But of course, the film stars Grace Kelly in her Oscar winning performance. The Grace Kelly who two years after this film was made became Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco. Sure, there is 'Commoner Kate', but what is more exciting than a film star, already looking like a princess, marrying a prince and literally living a fairytale until her untimely death at the age of 52. Not many of you know exactly how much I know and love Grace (yeah, I've read around four biographies on her, I've seen most of her films...), and my love for her knows no bounds when I see her in The Country Girl. She was still perfect without her make-up on.

Broadway director Bernie Dodd (William Holden) is in desperate need of a male lead for his new play and pushes to hire Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), an aging one time star with just the experience and skills required. The downside is that he has a reputation for being an unreliable drunk. Elgin has the talent for the job, but seems to be entirely dependent on his wife Georgie (Grace Kelly) to make all of his decisions for him. He tells Dodd that she has to come with them when they go to Boston to fine tune the show. He describes his wife as the drinker and suicidal at times and simply can't be left alone. Dodd takes up his cause, blaming Georgie for Frank's lack of self-confidence and a clash of wills ensues. He soon realizes he may have incorrectly assumed who was supporting who in their relationship.

In the film, Georgie says something about how interesting an empty theatre looks. There is just something so interesting to me about the theatre and what goes on inside it, even more so when we take a look into the lives of actors. Especially when they were made back in the old days of Hollywood. It's just something about the way they do it. This may sound overly pretentious, but stories like this are better suited to times like those, because show-business was so much more interesting back then. It must be all in the glamour of those stars. While The Country Girl is restricted to the theatre, therefore not being as glossy as a film-based story, the film covers a well known story of the alcoholic star who is trying to make a comeback. But even though the film treads familiar ground, it is authentic in the way it presents a controlling marriage driven by guilt, the changes in a woman after the the death of a child, a director trying to weave his way between a marriage in order to get both professional and personal gains, and then it is a film about an alcoholic trying to make his comeback. The problem I have with that last strand of story is the fact that we never find out whether he did succeed in his comeback. Stupid ambiguous endings, sometimes they piss me off (unless there are spinning tops involved).

However, whilst watching the film, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the performances, and how remarkably similar the movie was to a stage play. That's fair enough, too - the movie is based on a play by Clifford Odets. Director George Seaton makes no secret of that, with his direction being very theatrical and his screenplay cracking with references to plays and other stage-lingo. This, to me, pushes better performances out of the actors. Yeah, William Holden is, as always, nice to look at, but he doesn't have a lot to work with here. He has to step aside because of the force of Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby. Despite their rather large age gap, the two pull off a believable, if a little anger fuelled marriage which completely makes the movie. Crosby, in one facet of his character, sheds his nice guy persona in order to become a conniving alkie, but in the other facet of his character, he puts on an act to become 'the nicest guy ever known'. I love how he does this, causing trouble for his marriage, and as a result giving Grace Kelly a lot more to work with. In one facet, she is a controlling, vindictive wife, but in another facet, she's really just a grieving woman in search of happiness. Grace's performance as this character is simply magnificent, and I doubt that had anything to do with her dowdy exterior. She was completely deserving of her Oscar, and I simply can't love her any more after seeing this.

What I got:

What's Happening Where I Am: Cinema and DVD releases here, 29/04/11

Cinema Releases

Thor is the only major release here this week. I shall be going to see this hopefully this weekend, which will mark my first watched 2011 release (I know it's late, but don't judge me, every time I've had the chance to go to the cinema this year has been to see a 2010 release). I wasn't actually too keen on going to see it, but after the positive reviews I decided I might give it a go, in 3D, no less. After all, Chris Hemsworth has turned out to be a real hottie since his Home and Away days and Natalie Portman is in it. And I hear that Jeremy Renner has an appearance also. If anything has Jeremy Renner in it, I'm there!

Oh and I thought that it was worth pointing out that King George VI: The Man Behind the King's Speech comes out in cinemas across the country this week. Yes, a documentary on the real King George the Stammer. Jesus Christ, they're still playing The King's Speech in cinemas everywhere. It comes out on DVD later next month. Wait until then, NZ, after all, it's cheaper. But anyway, this doco has been advertised with "Features interviews with Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter!!!" Uh, so is this a doco on the movie, or a doco on the real Bertie? Well, I'm not making any effort to find out, you all know where I stand on the topic of The King's Speech..."Fuck. Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck and fuck! Fuck, fuck and bugger! Bugger, bugger, buggerty etc, etc, etc..."

DVD releases

Of course, The Kids Are All Right came out on DVD this week. I was going to review this for the paper, as I wanted to review every single Oscar nominee, but I decided against it upon watching it again. There are five different sex scenes in the movie, and I don't want to be held accountable for telling the people of this small town that it's a good movie. Especially if they know my real age.

I watched Little Fockers because it was just sitting there and I had nearly a whole week to watch it (thank you early suppliers!). The movie was pretty crap, though. If that was supposed to be funny, then I'm actually starting to think that Due Date was a masterpiece.

Made in Dagenham was also one I watched because of those early suppliers. That was an interesting history lesson on how woman came to be better than men (woops, I mean equal). It was fun, fluffy, and a little sad. But really, I spent the whole film waiting for Rosamund Pike to turn up because she is perfect. Sticking her in all those gorgeous dresses helped that out too.

Any thoughts on these films? And who's going to watch the Royal Wedding? I shamefully admit that I'm kinda excited about it.

Classic Movie Marathon Day 10: The Woman in the Window (1944)

Welcome to the Classic Movie Marathon. Ten movies down, only two to go! Next up is The Country Girl (1954).

The Woman in the Window is another one of those movies which I have had sitting in my DVD shelf for a very long time. It was a result of my trip to the now devastated Christchurch back in early 2010, when I went to the shop Alice in Videoland, and was so taken by the beauty and variety the shop had that I felt obligated to buy something. From the small selection of ex-rentals they had, this movie looked the best. I've heard that the shop is no longer running because of the earthquake, so this DVD has a pretty big sentimental value to it. Even with the sentimental value and all, I haven't found the time to watch it since it's a different zone and I barely ever watch movies on the TV. This is the beauty of this marathon...I have to watch these movies which I've had gathering dust for so long. Anyway, I digress. You're here for my review on the movie, aren't you? Well, I hope you are...

Who ever knew that a painting of a woman could cause so much pain for one innocent man? College professor Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) and his friends become obsessed with the portrait of a woman in the window next to the men's club. Wanley happens to meet the woman (Joan Bennett) while admiring her portrait, and ends up in her apartment for talk and a bit of champagne. Her boyfriend bursts in and misinterprets Wanley's presence, whereupon a scuffle ensues and the boyfriend gets killed. In order to protect his reputation, the professor agrees to dump the body and help cover up the killing, but becomes increasingly suspect as the police uncover more and more clues and a blackmailer begins leaning on the woman.

You can't go wrong with a bit of Edward G. Robinson. He was the epitome of a short bad-ass. But isn't it ironic that this movie was made in 1944, it featured a man killing a woman's lover and having to live with the guilt of it, and it stars Robinson? Why yes, Double Indemnity is very similar to this little number. Apart from the fact that this is more of a film noir in every sense of the word. It's dark and icy, from Joan Bennett's cool demeanour to the really dark shots. Meanwhile, the movie has some splendid moments of laughter and sarcasm which stood out quite a bit for me. Fritz Lang did a fantastic job of directing. This is my first Lang movie, so I feel like a bit of a Lang virgin, but I am definitely eager to check out some of his other movies after seeing this one. The only problem I have is the slightly clunky script which seems to drag a bit and the end. The end was a bit dated, but I assume this could have been classed as original back in the time it was made. Otherwise, I don't really have anything else to say about the film.

What I got:

Due to technical difficulties...

...my review of The Woman in the Window for tonight's instalment to the Classic Movie Marathon will have to be postponed. It's a complicated story, really. The version I have of the movie is a different zone to what we have here in NZ, therefore I can't play it on my laptop. So I brought out my trusty old portable DVD player to watch it on, but it turns out that I can't actually hear the movie on that. My only other option is to watch it in the lounge on the TV, but since my Dad isn't the movie type of person, I'll have to wait until tomorrow when he's at work before I can have the TV all to myself. So the schedule is pushed back a day, mainly coz I'm having a little trouble keeping up with these movies...I'm sadly more happy rewatching movies I've already seen fifty times before coz I just can't think straight.

In place of tonight's review, I'll just give you a photo of Jeremy Renner. Because he is my new nerd obsession at the moment. After all, he's in the new Bourne movie, bitches!

And while we're on the subject of Jeremy...here's a cute pic of he and Jon Hamm...

And on the subject of Jon, here's a pic of he and the beautiful Rebecca Hall...

And for no reason at all, just the fact that I watched the marvellous The Ghost Writer again a couple of nights back, here's an interesting premiere photo of stars Ewan McGregor, Olivia Williams, and Pierce Brosnan. I swear, Olivia Williams' performance in this movie was the best (male or female) performance of 2010. I have absolutely no doubt about that.

Ha, technical difficulties have never turned out to be so good looking.

The Links Are All Right

I've already seen The Kids Are All Right before, but I decided I'd give it another go since I had nothing else to watch. I'd already watched the other two releases, Made in Dagenham and Little Fockers, last week since the long weekend forced the suppliers to send everything earlier than usual. Now I am watching The Town, for no special reason at all...I'm leaving The Woman in the Window until tomorrow since I'm just not in the mood for that kind of movie at the moment. I feel quite guilty.

Anyway, I've read these, so I hope that you do too:

The Hell Street Journal just posted a review on The Disappearance of Alice Creed. I really liked this movie, and I can't wait until this classic movie marathon is over so I can review it.

I've finally found a review on Black Death, from Rachel's Reel Reviews. That was a pretty good, if a little underrated, movie.

Nick at Random Ramblings of a Demented Doorknob really liked Life is Beautiful. This movie is indeed beautiful.

Seen (500) Days of Summer? Post your review over at Paracinematic Cinephile. This is a great way of getting a community going!

I was on this weeks LAMBcast, talking about the awful Abandoned, starring the late Brittany Murphy.

Lesya reviewed and liked Hop. Unpopular opinions always win with me!

Another day, another review of Hanna. This time, it's from Hatter at The Dark of the Matinee. God, I wanna see this movie. I'm dying for more Olivia Williams!

Andrew at Encore's World of Film & TV did a post on the 'Miss Baltimore Crabs' sequence in Hairspray. This just reminded me of how great this film is. And it reminded me of how I had no life back in 2008 coz I still know all the words to all the songs.

A different Andrew (at Andy Buckle's Film Emporium) review Incendies. I might check this out in the future!

And finally, just a reminder that the LAMMYs are heating up, and the votes should be going in. I'M HERE! I'M HERE! Okay, my campaigning is over. I'd love a vote my way, though...

Have a good week! And expect something new on the blog once I'm finally finished this classic movie marathon!

Classic Movie Marathon Day 9: The Lost Weekend (1945)

Welcome to day nine of the Classic Movie Marathon. Nine movies down, three movies to go! Next up is The Woman in the Window (1944).


Addiction. It's a favourite topic of the movies. And the more depressing they are, the better. The Lost Weekend is no where near as depressing as the likes of Requiem for a Dream, but it still has a resounding effect on the viewer. I guess that's why it won Best Picture at the Oscars. Those voters like to be depressed, even though they like to call it 'being emotionally moved'. Billy Wilder's story of alcoholism is one which isn't to be taken light-heartedly, even though it has some great humour sprinkled through it. I just have one question though...why is it always the writer that has all the problems? Yeah, now I'm way too scared to even be known as a writer in fear that I might turn out as an alcoholic too.

So yeah, Don Birnam (Ray Milland) is a writer (supposedly) who is a little bit fond of the bottle in his times of need. But he's been off the bottle for a little while and he's about to go on a holiday weekend planned by his brother Wick (Phillip Terry) and his girlfriend Helen (Jane Wyman). Buying some time before he goes off on this weekend by making  trip to his long deserted watering hole to have a drink...or five. He winds up drunk and misses his train out of town, so instead of going on a nice sober weekend he decides to go on a bender, which leaves in all sorts of trouble. As the title would suggest, Don does find himself 'lost' in this weekend.

This movie really comes down to the performance by British actor Ray Milland. While I found his character quite annoying (that wasn't him, I just have something against the effects of alcohol), he managed to get heart out of the bottled up person he was. He anchors the production and provides it with that emotional vulnerability and instability that it needs, all the while making the viewer feel for him. It was quite interesting taking a look into why an alcoholic is an alcoholic. This is played beautifully through a flashback that Don has while he is having a quiet one. Billy Wilder did a good job on zoning in, also, on how it feels to be under the influence of the drink. His direction and screenplay, backed up by a positively unsettling score, conveyed the madness and insecurity which comes with the demon. This movie could probably work just as well as a horror. The love of a woman is a real problem I had with this movie. I mean, it was sweet, and essential, that someone would care so much for Mr. Birnam. But the whole thing seemed incredibly cliched and it made the ending even worse. I hate it when a movie can be so gritty for 90% of the time and the end is the most uplifting thing ever. I would have rathered that escort be the love interest because her ultra-abbreviated way of speaking was pretty damn modern.

What I got:

Classic Movie Marathon Day 8: Hamlet (1948)

Welcome to day eight of the Classic Movie Marathon. Eight movies down, four to go. Next up is The Lost Weekend (1945).

Okay, so this is going to be a very quick review, since I only finished watching Hamlet around four hours ago and I...pardon my naivety...didn't quite grasp this movie as much as I should have. I feel awfully ashamed to even admit that, since I pride myself in having such a 'mature taste in movies' (hey, I have a reputation to uphold now). But Shakespeare + my uneducated mind led to an experience where I felt I really only had a handle on how great the performances were and how beautiful the direction was. The script didn't seem to matter much to me with this one, and a script in a movie always has to matter to me, so I guess that's where I got lost. However, I imagine if I ever read the play 'Hamlet' (which is very likely, as I am a fan of many other Shakespeare plays), I'll be able to look at this movie more in-depth, and appreciate the work that Laurence Olivier did with this even more. Though, I still don't for the life of me know how this movie made it's way into my DVD collection two and a half years ago.

Laurence Olivier directed himself to an Oscar (Best Actor and Best Picture, one of only two foreign films to ever win the award) in William Shakespeare's tale of tragedy of murder and revenge. Claudius (Basil Sydney), brother to the King, conniving with the Queen, poisons the monarch and seizes the throne, taking the widowed Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) for his bride. Hamlet (Olivier), son of the murdered King, mournful of his father's death and mother's hasty marriage, is confronted by the ghost of the late King who reveals the manner of his murder. Seeking revenge, Hamlet recreates the monstrous deed in a play with the help of some traveling actors to torment the conscience of the evil Claudius. In a visit with his mother, Hamlet expresses his anger and disappointment concerning her swiftly untimed marriage. Thinking a concealed spy in his mother's chamber to be the lurking Claudius, he mistakenly kills the meddling counselor, Polonius (Felix Aylmer), father of Ophelia (Jean Simmons) and Laertes (Terence Morgan). Claudius, on the pretext that Hamlet will be endangered by his subjects for the murder of Polonius, sends the prince to England.

I would have given anything to see Laurence Olivier performing Shakespeare on stage, but I guess seeing him on film is enough. He is an actor tailor-made to be tackling such duties as performing Hamlet, and he does so with considerable charm and ill-temper. As someone who spends her time studying such performances as if to gather notes for a drama class, I couldn't help but be in awe of Olivier's talent and the way he can effortlessly wrap himself around the seemingly complicated words of Shakespeare. His directorial effort is amazing, too. It's obvious that the actors are acting as if they were on a stage, as the wider shots require the actors to be more melodramatic and move a lot more. However, when he gets down to the closer shots, he captures every emotion he wants to, and I found that magnificent to watch. One of my most favourite supporting performances was that of Jean Simmons as Ophelia, early in her career, earning her a well deserved Oscar nomination. While I would have rather seen Vivien Leigh take the role as she was supposed to, Simmons was beautiful and lovely in the role. Other than that, I feel like I can't go any further in to Hamlet, as I have to admit defeat to the words of Shakespeare which confuse a young child such as myself.

What I got:

Classic Movie Marathon Day 7: Ninotchka (1939)

Welcome to day seven of the Classic Movie Marathon. Seven movies down, five to go. Up next is Hamlet (1948).


Before there was 'From the people who brought you Transformers' or starring that guy who was a bit part in a movie made 20 years ago, there was a different way of selling films. If you had Greta Garbo in your film, and she tries her hand as a comedienne, then you have the best selling point since "Garbo Talks!": "Garbo LAUGHS!" This may suggest that she let's her usually serious persona go in Ninotchka. Alas, that does not happen. The tagline comes from the fact that she has a laughing scene, which loosens her up somewhat, but her performance is funny because of Melvyn Douglas. To add another great tagline to this film, the producers ordered that you "Don't pronounce it - see it!" See, that is so much better than "Titans will Clash".

Ninotchka was banned from the Soviet Union for the way it depicts the union under the power of Stalin: gray and stern. However, it was an international success, as it features Garbo coming out of her shell, and Melvyn Douglas being funny. Plus, it was directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch, who had the famed 'Lubitsch touch' with comedies. The film is about three Russians, Iranoff (Sig Ruman), Buljanoff (Felix Bressart) and Kopalski (Alexander Granach), who are in Paris to sell jewelry confiscated from the aristocracy during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Upon arrival, they meet Count Leon d'Algout (Melvyn Douglas), on a mission from the Russian Grand Duchess Swana (Ina Claire) who wants to retrieve her jewelry before it is sold. He corrupts them and talks them into staying in Paris. The Soviet Union then sends Nina Ivanovna "Ninotchka" Yakushova (Greta Garbo), a special envoy whose goal is to go through with the jewelry sale and bring back the three men. Rigid and stern at first, she slowly becomes seduced by the West and the Count, who falls in love with her.

This was quite a charming comedy, definitely because of the interplay between Garbo and Douglas. Garbo, herself, isn't so funny. It is usually Douglas who makes her funny. Ninotchka is quite a socially devoid character, with her personality being restricted by the limits of Stalin's empowerment. When she comes to the free and breezy Paris, she's out of her comfort zone. Leon highlights that fact, and often uses it against her as a way of getting a laugh or two. The comedy between the two is top notch, and also the comedy surrounding them is quite funny. Despite all this, the film didn't particularly stand out for me, as it did for so many others, but it still remains a fine example of the 'Lubitsch touch', a thing which many film-makers have tried to emulate, though few have succeeded in doing so. As the tagline would suggest, "Don't pronounce it - see it!"

What I got:

Classic Movie Marathon Day 6: Jezebel (1938)

Welcome to day six of the Classic Movie Marathon. Half way to the end! Up next will be Ninotchka (1939).


There was an old theory that has become a Hollywood legend, which surrounds the making of Jezebel. They say that Bette Davis was upset that she didn't get the role of Scarlett O'Hara in the mighty Gone with the Wind, so Warners gave her a role as a feisty Southern Belle in a quite similar film as a consolation. Me, being the know-it-all on Gone with the Wind, must take this opportunity to lay this thing to rest. No, this movie couldn't have been given to her as a consolation. First of all, Bette Davis, taking a role as a consolation?! After all, she was the fifth Warner brother. Second, they hadn't even found 'the one' when this film was made and released. At that point in time, they were still testing actresses like Paulette Goddard and Susan Hayward, and looking across the country in expensive searches for 'Scarlett'. Vivien Leigh wasn't actually cast until Christmas Day 1938, well after this film had been released, so if Warners were going to console Davis, they would have done it then.

But the biggest reason, possibly, offers the biggest paradox. Have a little think about Gone with the Wind. Could you actually see Davis in the role of Scarlett O'Hara? How do you think the film would have been had she been in it? I don't think it would have worked. She just didn't have the 'Scarlett' in her like the gorgeous Vivien Leigh. I feel strange for thinking this, since she plays a very similar character in Jezebel, and she's totally kick-ass. If it were consolation Bette was looking for with this movie, then maybe she got it through revenge. Jezebel, for a small while, took the heat off David O. Selznick's unproduced Southern picture. And Bette Davis winning an Oscar for her performance as a Southern bitch who mistreats her man and then decides she actually wants him when it's all too late, led people to wonder whether Selznick's 'Search for Scarlett' was really worth it, since Bette did the best possible job in that kind of role. When she won the Oscar, Vivien was filming her role, and people were still doubting the choice of an unknown British actress. So Bette won, until December 15, 1939, when Gone with the Wind first hit the cinemas.

The comparison between Jezebel and Gone with the Wind are completely unavoidable. This film is actually known as the 'black-and-white version of GWTW'. However, other than the remarkably similar lead characters going through a change of heart during to a certain man, the two films aren't so comparable. Where GWTW is focused on the Civil War, Jezebel is focused on the 1850's, when the Yellow Fever was causing trouble in the South. Jezebel, also, is rich with Southern customs, as Julie (Davis) uses those customs as a knife to stab her beloved Preston's (Henry Fonda) Yankee wife Amy (Margaret Lindsay). Julie may as well be the Civil War all by herself. I also felt that Julie was willing to sacrifice a lot more, and that she actually realized that her actions aren't as great as she thinks they are beforehand. This is prominently displayed in the scene where she wears a red dress to a white ball. It's when she is put in the spotlight, as everyone moves off the dancefloor, she realizes that she's made a huge misstep in her road to social survival and her marriage to Pres.

Gone with the Wind comparisons aside, Jezebel is an extremely well made and performed picture. William Wyler, following on from his first critical success with Dodsworth, does a marvellous job of capturing the story beautifully. He works best when he is directing Bette, oozing her unique beauty onto the screen and making sure her talent is fully recognized. I believe that Wyler's direction made Bette's performance even better than it was, and provided Bette with the most important film in her career. Without this, she wouldn't have become the actress she was, as this was her first huge success, even though she had won an Oscar in 1935 for Dangerous. Bette is backed with brilliant supporting performances as well. Henry Fonda gave a restrained performance as the dapper gent in demand, but I felt more compelled by his looks for some strange reason. Fay Bainter almost steals Bette's thunder with her Oscar winning performance as the quiet, well-educated aunt whom everyone loves, save for the headstrong Julie. Bainter has such a presence which can only be restricted to a supporting role, as she has a way of quietly overpowering her co-stars uniquely. If one is looking for a movie to start them off on the Bette Davis train, then this small, sad romantic drama of sorts is one that should definitely been seen to first. Just be prepared for many comparable moments to Gone with the Wind.

What I got:

Classic Movie Marathon Day 5: Waterloo Bridge (1940)

In Black Swan, the character Nina must lose herself in order to get into character for her ballet companies production of 'Swan Lake'. Clint Mansell also produced a score based heavily on Tchaikovsky's music to make the movie moody and atmospheric. What does this have to do with Waterloo Bridge? Black Swan and Waterloo Bridge have more in common than one would think. No, there aren't any lesbian sex scenes, seedy dance directors or a copious amount of mirror shots. Instead, these two are remarkably similar through their use of Swan Lake to show changes in the lead characters. And, come to think of it, Swan Lake is only portrayed as a seemingly minor thing in this movie.

On the surface, Waterloo Bridge seems like it is just an average romantic story, set amongst the danger of the war, between ballerina Myra Lester (Vivien Leigh) and a soldier Roy Cronin (Robert Taylor). Cronin, in the midst of the second World War, decides to go to Waterloo Bridge and reminisce about the romance he shared with Myra during the first World War. It's here we learn their story, and why Waterloo Bridge is so important. They first met during an air raid at this particular place, and quickly fell in love. They were so sure of their love that a couple of days later they become engaged, hoping to be married before Cronin goes back on duty. But Cronin is asked back early, and when Myra goes to see him off she misses a ballet performance and is expelled from her dancing school. Myra anxiously awaits Cronin's return, until she reads that he was killed in action. Distraught from the news and broke from living with her best friend Kitty (Virginia Field) without a job, Myra descends into prostitution as a way of living, but is unaware that Cronin isn't really dead at all.

This sounds a lot like the recent Brothers, which instead throws family ties into the mix. But I prefer this far more, and I love this movie so much that it may be one my favourite romances of all time. Vivien Leigh, with a career including such masterpieces as Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire, said that this movie was her personal favourite out of everything she did. And I don't blame her. It's heart-achingly beautiful, especially because of the amazing cinematography and smooth direction from Mervyn LeRoy. This is particularly shown in the dance scene between Myra and Cronin on their first date, where he strips the moment of dialogue and just follows them around. He manages to capture such beauty in such a subtle way, from start to finish. That is why this film is such a triumph. Pairing Robert Taylor with Vivien Leigh - in their second film together - was a high point, too. They had such chemistry that made this movie even more devastating than it already was. But of course, I have to hand it to my idol Vivien Leigh. How is that woman so beautiful and talented? I feel that her work here was just about as good as her work in GWTW, and that is saying something.

Anyway, back on the Black Swan comparison that I kept thinking about whilst watching this movie. Nina changed in order to play her character on stage. She was once a virginal, innocent girl, but after she let her dark side take over, it was like she'd been tarnished or something. Myra, well she doesn't change to be a character. Hell, she isn't even the lead in the production, she just dances around with the rest of the company. But at the start of the film, she's a glowing, bright young girl who is probably sweeter than pink frosting on a cupcake. However, once she 'loses' Roy, she starts appearing as this dark, almost sinister woman. Throughout the rest of the movie, you see her try and keep a grasp on herself, but ends up succumbing to the dark side which has taken over. I don't even think Darren Aronofsky would have used Waterloo Bridge as an influence - I doubt anyone has - but this is the way a romantic drama should be made. Stunningly beautiful, aching with sadness and bursting a Tchaikovsky-inspired score. There are no words to describe how much I love this movie.

What I got (haha, irony):

What's Happening Where I Am: Cinema and DVD releases here, 21/04/11

Cinema Releases

Arthur - There seems to be a Russell Brand takeover happening. I'd be totally cool with that, but his hair has always freaked me out. Like, there must be something living in there. And it looks very unhygienic, which isn't ideal for a clean freak like me. I think Greta Gerwig is adorable though, so that might be one reason I'd go see this. But there are a million reasons why I don't wanna see it.

Another Year - I'm pretty sure every review I've read/seen for this movie has had a five star rating slapped on the end of it. Very well then, I'll wait until the DVD comes out, since I really don't wanna pay $30 to go to the fancy schmancy cinema that only has 12 seats. I do really want to see this, though.

Fast Five - Jesus another Fast and Furious movie? I still haven't even seen number one. But I should hold off my condescending pre-judgements on this movie, it's been getting some really good reviews. You know, like, people realize this is a guilty pleasure movie but still give it five stars. I do wonder how long the 80% rating on RT will last.

DVD releases

TRON: Legacy - Even though I didn't like the movie the first time, I gave this another spin on Monday night. Yeah, it still wasn't that great. But I was persuaded to buy the soundtrack, and hell, that thing is a million times better than the movie. It literally got me through the hell of cleaning shelves today. And I developed a mad crush on Quorra. I like her suit and haircut. I'll start saving my pennies so I can be all lit up like her...

The Disappearance of Alice Creed - Damn, it was worth staying up until midnight to watch this little gem. Some may think this movie is a little, I don't know, strange, and all full of crying and screaming, but I say a tight, intense, taut little thriller. Gemma Arterton was superb in this, too. Let's just forget all the blockbuster crap she was in, and focus on her in this. Expect a review up once the classic movie marathon is done and dusted.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - How's this for irony? A year ago today, I first saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and two days ago I concluded the series. It's fair to say, the last two really couldn't live up to the first one, but I did like this one better than the second one. It's just a shame that Mikael and Lisbeth spent virtually no time together during this movie. I shall review this later.

Red - Old people. Shit they're hilarious. Especially when they kill people and act like bad-asses.
Okay, that may have been a little mean but I'm not using sarcasm...this movie was actually pretty alright. And when I say 'pretty alright', I mean the lowest form of 'pretty alright' there could possibly be without taking the positive context away from it.

Thoughts on these movies?