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Reviews
Anna Karenina (1935)
Basil Rathbone
To me, Basil Rathbone is the one and only superior actor in this film. Fans might disagree, but I find Garbo rather unconvincingly playing the [in my mind] fragile and victimized Anna character. Garbo's screen presence is so strong that, combined with her voice and perhaps also due to the extreme soft-light shots, she gives the impression of a winner, a survivor, a diva. Also the direction and adaptation by Clarence Brown deserve a compliment.
The Long Goodbye (1973)
one of those movies that won't age
Although not an Altman fan at all, I was pleasantly surprised by seeing this movie. First of all, it did not look as if it was made decades ago at all; it could just have been made yesterday. Much of the credit must go to Gould, who really is astonishing, I never knew he could be this good. Finally I must say that the discussion whether this movie is a film noir or not, seems totally irrelevant. It is a really well made film which does not need to rely on genre cliche's, except for providing many references and comments upon the past Marlowes, Chandlers, Hawks and in general private eye movies of the film history.
King of the Turf (1939)
Sentimental film is saved by Menjou's powerful screen presence
This film suffers from not so well written and too sentimental dialogues. Although the improbabilities within the plot are quite acceptable given the melodramatic cliche's, some of the scenes that should have been the most important ones, get so sentimental that they make you feel uneasy. One big question for me left unanswered throughout the picture; why does Goldie not want to go back home? Anyway, the presence of Menjou is rather impressive and he really carries the whole story which otherwise would be uninteresting.
In Name Only (1939)
great classic
A great Hollywood classic, this picture really is enjoyable every second, thanks to the actors but also thanks to well written scenario and dialogue. Could be remade anytime, without changing a word of the original.
Everything's on Ice (1939)
Mismatch
This films combines in the worst way the ice-skating revues of the six year old Dare with a totally predictable and not so funny romantic plot. The choreographies with Dare look really as if they were spliced in from another movie. Especially her last performance as a penguin coming out of an egg [taking up about the last ten minutes of the film] is sure to test your patience and goodwill.
Dust Be My Destiny (1939)
I could not see anything interesting in this film.
This film did not go well with me at all, despite my expectations based on the name of J. Garfield. This is the first film I see with him, and I couldn't tell at all why he should be so well-known; no good-looks, no charisma, no powerful acting. However I read somewhere that Garfield himself didn't like the part and eventually broke his contract with the WB because he was being typecast. That might explain some things. And I agree that the small character roles are nice, but I find the dialogues too forcefully funny, so in the end not funny at all. The plot goes on and on, each time following the same lines of Joe Bell mistrusting people, proven wrong, getting his hopes high, then disappointed because he can not settle being searched by the police. And so many setting changes are really too much for such a studio film; from the prison to the camp, to the on-stage wedding [the worst bit], Nick's diner, trains, other towns, etc. Finally, the social theme of the film is being underlined to the point of redundancy, without ever elaborating on it an inch further.