I thought this film would be amazing- it sounded good on paper, and was working out well, but after the first thirty minutes it just got predictable, and not in a good way.
I like Ginger Rogers, but she'll never be a favourite of mine- she got VERY annoying after 1944. George Brent is okay, and handsome, it's just that he has no charisma and is a rather unremarkable actor. Perhaps I just wanted to see how well they would mash together- the movies have made some STRANGE odd couples.
The premise of the film was that Ginger Rogers's character, a famous movie star named Carol Corliss, has recently had a nervous breakdown and goes out in public wearing a veil because of how terrified she is that people will recognize her (might be deemed offensive by people who look to be offended by everything).
It seems like it might work better as an A Woman's Face-esque drama, but it was working very well as a comedy. Under that veil, she has a disguise-not a very good one-- Ginger, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere- and a pseudonym.
George Brent runs into her one day in an elevator, and is talked into going on a trip to the wilderness with her so she can recover. Unfortunately, one of her co-stars (and lovers) is also looking for her.
One thing I am always amazed by is the lack of a paparazzi in Golden Age films. There are a lot of films where actors play actors, washed-up as well as stars burning bright, but there never seem to be a crowd of admiring fans unless the movie wants to damage the character's mental well-being despite it being already damaged (à la Sunset Boulevard), feed the ego of said star (à la Torch Song), or just to make a point (satirize).
This film has no adoring fans hounding Carol, apart from in one scene where she goes out in public to see one of her films (To prove to George Brent that she was really Carol Corliss). Besides that, despite her face being on every single magazine, no one seems to know who she is. Like I mentioned above, I'd know those eyes anywhere.
George and Ginger unfortunately have little chemistry. I'd liked to have seen George unmask Ginger right at the end, but within twenty-five minutes, he knew who she was, making the rest of the film VERY awkward. The mistaken identity screwball that could have been was destroyed, and the film settled into a boring boy-hates-girl-but-loves-her-in-the-end sort of film. Blaaaah. Excuse me while I scream in frustration.
AND there was an annoying child actor. Yaaaaaaaay.
I'll give the first twenty-five minutes a solid seven and the rest of of film a rather unremarkable three, splitting into five, which I'll raise to six to be nice.
Always fun to see Ginger dance, though, even without Fred Astaire. She has a dance number where she dances all over the tables and room to a bemused George Brent.
There's also a scene where they play Lovely To Look At on the radio, which is from the Astaire-Rogers film Roberta and was released the same year.
I like Ginger Rogers, but she'll never be a favourite of mine- she got VERY annoying after 1944. George Brent is okay, and handsome, it's just that he has no charisma and is a rather unremarkable actor. Perhaps I just wanted to see how well they would mash together- the movies have made some STRANGE odd couples.
The premise of the film was that Ginger Rogers's character, a famous movie star named Carol Corliss, has recently had a nervous breakdown and goes out in public wearing a veil because of how terrified she is that people will recognize her (might be deemed offensive by people who look to be offended by everything).
It seems like it might work better as an A Woman's Face-esque drama, but it was working very well as a comedy. Under that veil, she has a disguise-not a very good one-- Ginger, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere- and a pseudonym.
George Brent runs into her one day in an elevator, and is talked into going on a trip to the wilderness with her so she can recover. Unfortunately, one of her co-stars (and lovers) is also looking for her.
One thing I am always amazed by is the lack of a paparazzi in Golden Age films. There are a lot of films where actors play actors, washed-up as well as stars burning bright, but there never seem to be a crowd of admiring fans unless the movie wants to damage the character's mental well-being despite it being already damaged (à la Sunset Boulevard), feed the ego of said star (à la Torch Song), or just to make a point (satirize).
This film has no adoring fans hounding Carol, apart from in one scene where she goes out in public to see one of her films (To prove to George Brent that she was really Carol Corliss). Besides that, despite her face being on every single magazine, no one seems to know who she is. Like I mentioned above, I'd know those eyes anywhere.
George and Ginger unfortunately have little chemistry. I'd liked to have seen George unmask Ginger right at the end, but within twenty-five minutes, he knew who she was, making the rest of the film VERY awkward. The mistaken identity screwball that could have been was destroyed, and the film settled into a boring boy-hates-girl-but-loves-her-in-the-end sort of film. Blaaaah. Excuse me while I scream in frustration.
AND there was an annoying child actor. Yaaaaaaaay.
I'll give the first twenty-five minutes a solid seven and the rest of of film a rather unremarkable three, splitting into five, which I'll raise to six to be nice.
Always fun to see Ginger dance, though, even without Fred Astaire. She has a dance number where she dances all over the tables and room to a bemused George Brent.
There's also a scene where they play Lovely To Look At on the radio, which is from the Astaire-Rogers film Roberta and was released the same year.