Housewife Mildred Pierce isn't happy at home. Her husband recently lost his job
and he just isn't bringing in the bacon it takes to provide their two daughters
with singing lessons, piano lessons and nice clothes...especially eldest
daughter Veda, who's a Grade-A cunt. Mildred and her husband soon separate and
Mildred secretly gets a job as a waitress. Before long she knows all the ins and
outs of the restaurant business and opens up her own place. It's a success, but
will it be enough to satisfy the spoiled Veda? And what of the men in Mildred's
life? Oh yeah, there's also that little matter of murder!
Told in long flashback form during the investigation of a murder, the 1945 film
version of MILDRED PIERCE differs
greatly from James Cain's thrilling
hard-boiled novel of the same name. The reason for the changes is there's
absolutely no way that story could have been told in 1945. Usually I'm
strongly against changing a story so radically from the author's original
vision, but the screenwriters here (including William Faulkner!) did an
excellent job. Add onto that some outstanding acting by everybody and you got
yourself a really good movie. I've seen MP a number of times now and it's always
a pleasure and strikes me as a very mature film for 1945.
Highly recommended.
IMDb lists Joyce Compton as "Waitress (uncredited)", but I don't see here
anywhere.
Based on same novel - Mildred Pierce (2011)
Showing posts with label Joan Crawford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joan Crawford. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Monday, August 8, 2011
THE WOMEN (1939)
Director George Cukor had a hell of a year in 1939. First, after spending two
years in pre-production on GONE WITH THE WIND, he parting ways due to
disagreements with David O. Selznick. During this time he also worked on
THE WIZARD OF OZ
where he altered the look of Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Wicked Witch. And if
that's not enough, after being dismissed from GWTW he directed THE WOMEN, which
I'm confused as to why it wasn't even
nominated for any Academy Awards. Could
it have been because Cukor was pretty open about his homosexuality? How the fuck
should I know! But I do know that Rosalind Russell was robbed...of a nomination,
not the win. Olivia
de Havilland was the one robbed of the win in 1939.
Anyway, THE WOMEN is a mile-a-minute drama/comedy about a bunch of cackling bitches who get no greater joy in life than making their friend's lives miserable. The target of their cruelty for this movie is the kind-hearted Norma Shearer who is madly in love with her husband, so naturally when the pack hear a rumor that Shearer's husband is messing around with a shopgirl they get all worked up into a frenzy and will stop at nothing to break up Norma's marriage. Nothing is too brutal for these women to say, they even bring Norma's daughter into their verbal attacks!
One of the things that I always found strange about THE WOMEN is the 10 minute fashion show right in the middle of the movie! It doesn't benefit the story in any way and more than anything it brings the story to a screeching stop right before an emotional scene. From what I've read Cukor didn't like the scene either, but it got left in anyway. My advise: when it starts just skip the chapter and forget that it ever existed. Other than that, I like this movie quite a bit, especially Rosalind Russell who is hilarious as the lead bitch. Her "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" scene was great.
Being over 70 years old this film is dated and over melodramatic, but if you can get over that you'll find a very enjoyable movie with a lot of witty dialogue. Fans of classic Hollywood should definitely check it out.
Anyway, THE WOMEN is a mile-a-minute drama/comedy about a bunch of cackling bitches who get no greater joy in life than making their friend's lives miserable. The target of their cruelty for this movie is the kind-hearted Norma Shearer who is madly in love with her husband, so naturally when the pack hear a rumor that Shearer's husband is messing around with a shopgirl they get all worked up into a frenzy and will stop at nothing to break up Norma's marriage. Nothing is too brutal for these women to say, they even bring Norma's daughter into their verbal attacks!
One of the things that I always found strange about THE WOMEN is the 10 minute fashion show right in the middle of the movie! It doesn't benefit the story in any way and more than anything it brings the story to a screeching stop right before an emotional scene. From what I've read Cukor didn't like the scene either, but it got left in anyway. My advise: when it starts just skip the chapter and forget that it ever existed. Other than that, I like this movie quite a bit, especially Rosalind Russell who is hilarious as the lead bitch. Her "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" scene was great.
Being over 70 years old this film is dated and over melodramatic, but if you can get over that you'll find a very enjoyable movie with a lot of witty dialogue. Fans of classic Hollywood should definitely check it out.
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