The clue is in the title, this is a religious movie, and I half expected Pat O'Brien, Bing Crosby or Spencer Tracey to turn up. I watched, as I read some glowing reviews here, and about half way through I realised that the people who liked this so much were probably church goers. If that's you or what you like then please watch, you will enjoy I suspect.
This had all the feel of a film noir movie but all was white where there is normally black. The story unfolds as the film develops and is told in retrospect. Instead of bad things happening, good things occurred, except that a character develops what MAD magazine once called old movie disease (in their pastiche on Love Story), which turns it into a weepie (or a cringefest). This is the type of film they were referring to.
There were unintended laughable moments such as when Frank Sinatra starts to sing. You can't have him in your movie and not get him to warble something surely? There was also a courting scene where they spend Christmas Eve in a Chinese Restaurant, with no other customers or staff other than the owner, who interloped with them on their date. The Asian man came out with some zen type wisdom, then was given a St Michael charm.
Another amusing unintended amusing moment was when the temperamental actress playing Joan of Arc storms out and within seconds the wannabe turns up with exactly the same hair as the Joan of Arc actress and I did a double take and had to check that the two parts were not played by the same actress. Uncanny? The film did have enough tact to not immediately suggest that they play the role, and gave it a few minutes before the dots were joined up when the actress just happened to know the JofA soliloquy, which I must say Alida Valli delivers with aplomb.
I've never been convinced by Fred MacMurray, and it's the same here for me, he really is too nice. Perfect casting then perhaps, for this film? Double Indemnity was his zenith (where he just about didn't spoil the film for me). Lee J Cobb gives another sterling performance, and shows us some real acting, thank goodness.
Production levels are good here, but this really is a Hollywood movie about the Hollywood industry, in a rag to (not quite?) riches way, in that a girl from the sticks makes good, with all the rough edges rounded off.
This had all the feel of a film noir movie but all was white where there is normally black. The story unfolds as the film develops and is told in retrospect. Instead of bad things happening, good things occurred, except that a character develops what MAD magazine once called old movie disease (in their pastiche on Love Story), which turns it into a weepie (or a cringefest). This is the type of film they were referring to.
There were unintended laughable moments such as when Frank Sinatra starts to sing. You can't have him in your movie and not get him to warble something surely? There was also a courting scene where they spend Christmas Eve in a Chinese Restaurant, with no other customers or staff other than the owner, who interloped with them on their date. The Asian man came out with some zen type wisdom, then was given a St Michael charm.
Another amusing unintended amusing moment was when the temperamental actress playing Joan of Arc storms out and within seconds the wannabe turns up with exactly the same hair as the Joan of Arc actress and I did a double take and had to check that the two parts were not played by the same actress. Uncanny? The film did have enough tact to not immediately suggest that they play the role, and gave it a few minutes before the dots were joined up when the actress just happened to know the JofA soliloquy, which I must say Alida Valli delivers with aplomb.
I've never been convinced by Fred MacMurray, and it's the same here for me, he really is too nice. Perfect casting then perhaps, for this film? Double Indemnity was his zenith (where he just about didn't spoil the film for me). Lee J Cobb gives another sterling performance, and shows us some real acting, thank goodness.
Production levels are good here, but this really is a Hollywood movie about the Hollywood industry, in a rag to (not quite?) riches way, in that a girl from the sticks makes good, with all the rough edges rounded off.