This movie is utter torment for the modern viewer.
Filming a play is difficult; to be true to the play and to the film medium is challenging. "Country Girl" is extremely two dimensional.
The only lively scene is where Jacqueline Fontaine sings 'Love and Learn' with Bing.
The acting is wooden. It would seem that Charlise Theron climbed onto the ugly-Oscar wagon, but Grace Kelly got there first. She is totally unconvincing as a housewife. Bing looks elderly and weary; the music is dull but he does his best with the material.
The only acting strength comes from William Holden. His character learns and grows. The scene in which he kisses Grace, while somewhat unexpected, is powerful.
Cliché is piled upon Cliché. At times tears are jerked; tears of fury and pain. The modern audience expects a little subtlety. And Bing's alcoholism seems to be a try-on by all parties; an excuse to behave very badly and add a few more clichés. The only cure for him in the context of the film would be shedding Grace - and maybe going after Jacqueline.
Sure, there are good points. The audience disbelieves Grace and believes the charming Bing, but it is shown the truth in excellent filmic style, and swings just when Bill Holden does, into trusting Grace.
And the almost-ending, where Bing releases Grace, is filmically sound. Bing is on one side of the room and the other two share a shot. That chunk of the script is good. Bing does 'noble' very well.
Yet at the end Grace - lovely again - runs after Bing and good old Bill just watches from a window, giving a stylish long and elevated shot of Bing and Grace going home together. In real life she would have taken a break from both and ended up with Bill, or someone else.
Was this an ending added after tryout? Grace states that she wants Bing to stand on his own feet and be a man again so that she can be free, yet she goes back to him. Tryouts? Codependance? Infuriating!
Somehow the focus of this film was all wrong and the result was slow torture.
Not recommended!!!
Filming a play is difficult; to be true to the play and to the film medium is challenging. "Country Girl" is extremely two dimensional.
The only lively scene is where Jacqueline Fontaine sings 'Love and Learn' with Bing.
The acting is wooden. It would seem that Charlise Theron climbed onto the ugly-Oscar wagon, but Grace Kelly got there first. She is totally unconvincing as a housewife. Bing looks elderly and weary; the music is dull but he does his best with the material.
The only acting strength comes from William Holden. His character learns and grows. The scene in which he kisses Grace, while somewhat unexpected, is powerful.
Cliché is piled upon Cliché. At times tears are jerked; tears of fury and pain. The modern audience expects a little subtlety. And Bing's alcoholism seems to be a try-on by all parties; an excuse to behave very badly and add a few more clichés. The only cure for him in the context of the film would be shedding Grace - and maybe going after Jacqueline.
Sure, there are good points. The audience disbelieves Grace and believes the charming Bing, but it is shown the truth in excellent filmic style, and swings just when Bill Holden does, into trusting Grace.
And the almost-ending, where Bing releases Grace, is filmically sound. Bing is on one side of the room and the other two share a shot. That chunk of the script is good. Bing does 'noble' very well.
Yet at the end Grace - lovely again - runs after Bing and good old Bill just watches from a window, giving a stylish long and elevated shot of Bing and Grace going home together. In real life she would have taken a break from both and ended up with Bill, or someone else.
Was this an ending added after tryout? Grace states that she wants Bing to stand on his own feet and be a man again so that she can be free, yet she goes back to him. Tryouts? Codependance? Infuriating!
Somehow the focus of this film was all wrong and the result was slow torture.
Not recommended!!!
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