satindoll Reviews

Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Unrequited Love

[30 August 2004]

However selfish and self-absorbed Stefan could have been, it seemed unrealistic that he could not remember all the time he had spent with Liza. Going dancing, riding the fake train, making love, looking deep into the eyes throughout it all, wouldn't you at least expect her to be just a little more familiar to him? At least we had the satisfaction of seeing him distraught at the end, but I was hoping for something better. There is also a question of the outcome of the duel, and I don't like loose ends. It seems that Joan Fontaine and her sister both mastered the helpless fawn look throughout their careers. Liza may not have wanted her marriage, but she seemed to gain great confidence within her marriage.

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)

Joan is no comedian

[30 August 2004]

I do not like Joan Crawford in light comedy fare. I am one of her biggest fans, and I don't miss anything she does, but whenever she's in one of those fast-talking comedies, her voice seems to become forced and unnatural, and her smile looks faked. She is best when she is serious, and especially when slipping one of those little pistols into her handbag -with gloved hand- to eliminate a cheating husband or some other louse. And when she is weeping and involved in something sorrowful or tragic, then she is at her best. She is just so good at getting a raw deal, and then coming back to triumph. This movie was not bad; at least, I got a chance to see Joan in a movie I never knew existed. And she never looked better. It was nice to see how handsome Robert Montgomery used to be. All in all, it was entertaining, especially if you like attractive homes and scenery. It did highlight that the very rich are silly and really don't have much of interest to do other than entertain each other all the time.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

What was this?

[10 October 2003]

I notice that the other posters appear to have watched the movie all the way through. Maybe I would have caught on if I had stuck it out, but by the time my DVD counter had reached about 11,000, and I still had no clue what I was watching, I gave up. In fact, I was beginning to think that I was crazy or that maybe something was wrong with my brain. I have never had this much trouble understanding a movie in an entire life of avid movie-watching. I could understand a movie done entirely in a foreign language, without subtitles, better than i could this one. It's due back tomorrow, and I will try again tonight, but something better happen soon.

Green Dolphin Street (1947)

Unrequited Love

[25 August 2003]

I was very unhappy with who ended up with who in this movie. Looking at the personalities of the girls matched with those of the men, I tend to think that strong belongs with strong and sweet with sweet. But, obviously, there is no accounting for true love. The earthquake and tidal wave scenes were just great, and usually under great duress there is that passionate kiss, especially after the man carries the woman to safety. There were lots of chances for Marianne to turn it around and get a man who truly loved her. She said she felt no real closeness or warmth from William, and yet she was willing to spend the rest of her life trying to get it. She had a lot of grit.

I wonder if anyone else notices that Lana Turner sometimes sounds exactly like Shirley Temple. She has a strange accent sometimes, yet I believe she was from California.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 TV Movie)

Really romantic

[14 August 2003]

I too thought that the chemistry between the two leads was very believable. But the main reason I enjoyed the movie was that there was a lack of violence. Albeit there were some horrendous things going on with the guillotine, I didn't have to see it in has relief. Thank goodness for that. Once I realized that there weren't going to be any torture chambers or other horrible things that turn me off, I could relax and enjoy the love story. I would see it again, and I don't usually see movies again.