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nightowl86
Reviews
His Girl Friday (1940)
Didn't keep my interest
*** This review may contain spoilers *** His Girl Friday starts out strong with witty banter exchanged by Cary Grant as Walter Burns and Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson. Cary and Rosalind had a lot of chemistry in this film. Walter Burns is a blunt, impatient, controlling, man. I started out with a bit of sympathy for Hildy, who plays a woman who just wants a normal life away from journalism. Both characters turn out to be manipulative,unsympathetic, and very similar. The plot loses steam and is not very interesting, and is full of annoying characters. Everyone seems really corrupt. The movie started off really interesting, but couldn't sustain itself.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Good Acting, story flawed
My Man Godfrey stars off with an interesting plot. Wealthy people who play a game of trying to find unwanted things, including people The best thing about this movie as William Powell as Godfrey, who is the most honorable and gracious person in this film, surrounded by some very interesting people. Irene Bullock, played by Carol Lombard is obsessive and moody. Gail Patrick as Cornelia Bullock is selfish and vindictive. I think the main performances were pretty good, but some of the humor, which may have started out funny, just repeated itself and was not funny anymore. The story just became less interesting as the movie went on.
Scarface (1932)
Disappointing
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The very beginning of this film was intriguing, but as a whole, this film was boring to me. I felt like this was not Paul Muni's best performance. His performance as Tony Camonte was over the top and not very nuanced to me. Most of the other performances of the supporting cast were wooden, one-dimensional, or over the top. Karen Morley gave an interesting performance as the reserved Poppy, as did George Raft as the quiet Guino Rinaldo. I do wonder if it was the performances, the writing, or just the acting of the time that made me feel this way. Despite the action scenes and violence, the plot seemed predictable and not very interesting. The moments of comic relief were not very successful either. This film also seems very dated. Overall, I was just disappointed, because I heard this was a classic, and I had higher expectations.
The Unknown (1927)
Interesting silent film
I didn't know what to expect watching my first silent movie, but The Unknown was a pleasant surprise. The plot is a bit predictable, especially as it progresses. Lon Chaney gives a great performance as Alonzo. The performance he gives as Alonzo is creepy and haunting, with his obsession with Nanon(Joan Crawford). I was surprised by how much emotion a silent film could convey, and that is in large part due to the performances. The music was great, and added to the overall haunting feel the movie had. The music seemed to change for each of the main characters, which I liked and helped create the mood this film had. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Joan Crawford in this film as I never knew she appeared in a silent film. Though the plot was somewhat predictable, the performances of this movie make it worth watching.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
This is a pretty good film
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is suspenseful from beginning to end. The only thing I am unsure about was the ending, which seemed unresolved in some way. Paul Muni is great as James Allen. He gives an intense, emotional performance as a good man wronged by an unfortunate set of circumstances, who is trying to find freedom. This movie explores the brutal and harsh life as an inmate in the chain gang. What I found interesting was the questions it asked, specifically about the chain gang system, but also about the ideas of justice, freedom, and fairness.There are some interesting performances from the supporting cast, particularly the other inmates, and from Glenda Farrell as Marie Woods. There was one detail, a part of James Allen's life on the run that I found a bit ridiculous. Overall though, this is a suspenseful film with a great main performance by Paul Muni.