It is very hard to resist a cast that included Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Olivia De Havilland and Eric Blore. It was always great seeing them individually in their films, and all featured and starred in many very good to classic films. Seeing them together in the same film, with an inspired concept and featuring my personal favourite type of comedy (the witty and sophisticated kind) had potential to be an absolute joy, and that was exactly whar 'It's Love I'm After' was.
Of all the "classic"/golden age films seen recently, 'It's Love I'm After' is up there with the best and most enjoyable. It is a rare case of it not mattering that the story is very simple and doesn't contain an awful lot of surprises, because the quality of the performances, the exceptionally high quality of the comedy and the constant lively verve stopped me completely from caring and stopped me from getting distracted by something that can be an undoing in film, television etc.
The cast are a huge part of the appeal. Davis is a consummate pro and shows how versatile she was as an actress by displaying deft comic timing and being more than comfortable in it. De Havilland, her and Howard having more screen time than Davis, is positively luminous and is a snappy foil. It was no surprise that Blore would be a scene stealer, he often was, and he proves himself to be absolutely hilarious support, bird calls has seldom been funnier in any film before or since. The biggest surprise in 'It's Love I'm After' of the cast was Howard, showing that he could be funny and this was his most gusto-filled performance.
Where 'It's Love I'm After' also scores highly is in the script, which crackles in the best of ways. It's witty, it's sophisticated and most importantly it's incredibly funny, the one-liners an example of how to do one-liners in film. The story is simple but full of energy, and while it is very over the top it is wickedly so. The theatrical setting is used perfectly and De Havilland's clothes especially are gorgeous. It's a beautifully directed film too and the chemistry between the actors crackles as much as the script, even the more romantic parts.
Problems were very, very few. The only thing that didn't work for me was Bonita Granville, who is irritating beyond belief and shows over-acting at its most impossible to enjoy.
Summing up, great and one of my favourite recent viewings. 9/10
Of all the "classic"/golden age films seen recently, 'It's Love I'm After' is up there with the best and most enjoyable. It is a rare case of it not mattering that the story is very simple and doesn't contain an awful lot of surprises, because the quality of the performances, the exceptionally high quality of the comedy and the constant lively verve stopped me completely from caring and stopped me from getting distracted by something that can be an undoing in film, television etc.
The cast are a huge part of the appeal. Davis is a consummate pro and shows how versatile she was as an actress by displaying deft comic timing and being more than comfortable in it. De Havilland, her and Howard having more screen time than Davis, is positively luminous and is a snappy foil. It was no surprise that Blore would be a scene stealer, he often was, and he proves himself to be absolutely hilarious support, bird calls has seldom been funnier in any film before or since. The biggest surprise in 'It's Love I'm After' of the cast was Howard, showing that he could be funny and this was his most gusto-filled performance.
Where 'It's Love I'm After' also scores highly is in the script, which crackles in the best of ways. It's witty, it's sophisticated and most importantly it's incredibly funny, the one-liners an example of how to do one-liners in film. The story is simple but full of energy, and while it is very over the top it is wickedly so. The theatrical setting is used perfectly and De Havilland's clothes especially are gorgeous. It's a beautifully directed film too and the chemistry between the actors crackles as much as the script, even the more romantic parts.
Problems were very, very few. The only thing that didn't work for me was Bonita Granville, who is irritating beyond belief and shows over-acting at its most impossible to enjoy.
Summing up, great and one of my favourite recent viewings. 9/10