Susan Hayward gives a performance worthy of a high school drama student in this overwrought biopic about actress/singer Lillian Roth and her struggles with alcoholism.
Hawyard seems to think Acting with a capital "A" means that she, or at least some part of her, must be in motion at all times. Therefore, she's constantly grimacing, rolling her eyes, arching her eyebrows, flinging her arms around, tossing her hair, swaying, stumbling, slurring. She's at her most histrionic and unwatchable when her character is at rock bottom; her portrayal of alcoholism looks more like demonic possession.
It doesn't help that the film around her is pure 50s melodrama, with absolutely no effort to capture the period during which the events depicted occurred. I had to look up Lillian Roth on the Internet to figure out what time period we were supposed to be in -- Hayward never looks like anything other than a 50s housewife.
Though Hayward's performance is damn near unbearable, there are some good performances given by others, and one, that of Jo Van Fleet as Roth's mother, that's almost great. Too bad she seems to be acting in a different movie.
Grade: C
Hawyard seems to think Acting with a capital "A" means that she, or at least some part of her, must be in motion at all times. Therefore, she's constantly grimacing, rolling her eyes, arching her eyebrows, flinging her arms around, tossing her hair, swaying, stumbling, slurring. She's at her most histrionic and unwatchable when her character is at rock bottom; her portrayal of alcoholism looks more like demonic possession.
It doesn't help that the film around her is pure 50s melodrama, with absolutely no effort to capture the period during which the events depicted occurred. I had to look up Lillian Roth on the Internet to figure out what time period we were supposed to be in -- Hayward never looks like anything other than a 50s housewife.
Though Hayward's performance is damn near unbearable, there are some good performances given by others, and one, that of Jo Van Fleet as Roth's mother, that's almost great. Too bad she seems to be acting in a different movie.
Grade: C