deewitt Reviews

The Dark Mirror (1946)

The other side of Melanie

[8/10 · 2 December 2011]

Olivia de Havilland as an insanely jealous, manipulative, cold-blooded killer? If that's too much to take, you're sure to be more comfortable with her as the kind, warm-hearted, and trusting identical twin.

That's the appeal of "The Dark Mirror," and it succeeds admirably. Olivia is Terry and Olivia is Ruth, in some of the most seamless "trick" photography of the 1940s. Two scenes in particular, in which one Olivia puts her arms around the other Olivia to comfort her, are truly startling. You can't help but ask yourself, "How did they do it?"

This is a fast-moving film noir, directed by Robert Siodmak, and what makes it so interesting is that Olivia truly appears to be two different women. One is suspected of murder, and even though you quickly know which one it is, the suspense comes from the interaction between them. Watch for an eerie bedroom scene that's actually quite chilling, in which the vicious sister tries to drive her twin to the brink of madness.

Ms. de Havilland never played such a ruthless character again until many years later in "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte." She should have done it more often. She's awesome!

Dream Wife (1953)

Boring.

[20 July 2011]

I saw this movie for the first time on TCM, interested because of the pairing of Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. It's really boring, with a silly, unbelievable plot.

Worse than that, Grant looks and act in such a peculiar manner. He appears to be bone-thin, with his suits just hanging on him. And his expressions and body language border on the effeminate in some sequences. This is not the dashing, debonair, sophisticated Cary Grant we've all become accustomed to seeing in so many movies over the years.

Kerr has a brief drunk scene that is unusual for her screen persona. Aside from that, there's not much to her character that can save this dreary flick.

The one thing worth noting is the movie's benign portrayal of Islamic rulers. Was it really like that 50 years ago, or were we just too ignorant to know any better?

The West Point Story (1950)

Okay, so it's not "Singin' in the Rain"...

[8/10 · 27 July 2010]

...but who cares? Watch it to see how the versatile, hard-working stars at Warner Bros. could turn a pedestrian plot into a breezy, lighthearted, song-and-dance treat.

MGM may have been the king of the genre and Fox certainly had its share of toe-tapping performers, but there's something about those old black-and-white Warner Bros. musicals that continue to entertain me. From the 1930s up to the 1950s, they always had a gritty, plain- talking quality that made them very different from what the other studios offered.

What a pleasure to watch James Cagney, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and the saucy Virginia Mayo (who never got enough credit during her career) light up the screen with their remarkable talents.

Yes, the story doesn't make sense and most of the tunes are uninspired but I'll still give it an 8 for fun.

The Bad Seed (1985 TV Movie)

Not as bad as I expected it to be

[5/10 · 29 June 2010]

The reviews of this new version of "The Bad Seed" were so terrible that I watched the DVD to see what went wrong.

I saw the original film when it was released in 1956 and found it lacking--not in its story but in its acting and direction. Based on a hit Broadway show, which was inspired by a book, its origins were plainly visible. There was no attempt to adapt the play to the screen and give it movement and cinematic fluidity, and the cast, an ensemble of well-known and award- winning actors borrowed from the stage show, was still playing to the second balcony. The performances were so loud and over-the-top that they often made me wince. Even worse, the chilling finale of the play was altered due to the censorship of the times.

This new version puts the play's ending back into the script, which is a vast improvement. A few changes have been made to the script but nothing that harms the basic story of an outwardly sweet but amoral little 8-year-old girl with no conscience--a "bad seed"--who murders to get what she wants. Contrary to other reviewers, I did not find this version to be that awful. Granted, it's not what it could have been and it does have a cheesy look to it, but the concept of the story still makes me shudder.

I thought this new version would be more graphic, given the times we live in, but thankfully I was spared the grisly details. Unless you're a devoted fan of the original movie, I think you'll find this remake worth your time. It still has the power to shock.

Lost Horizon (1937)

A nice place to visit but...

[5/10 · 18 June 2010]

Watching this movie again after many years is like taking an acid trip. Capra's film is a total hallucination, suffused with a "make love, not war" philosophy that quickly disappeared with the horrors of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo, then returned with a vengeance 30 years later with the hippie culture.

Absurdities abound in Shangri-La. Can anyone really believe all that 10-ton furniture was shlepped up those dangerous mountain trails by mysterious "porters?" I guess the point is that greed makes people risk anything for gold. And in a culture in which everyone is equal, why do the wise and educated live in high-rise splendor while the happy laborers toil below? It's like a benign "Metropolis." Or better yet, George Orwell's "Animal Farm," in which some are more equal than others. I couldn't help but wonder how many workers were sweating in the marble quarry while Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt were frolicking in the forest. Women, of course, are chattel in Shangri-La, as befits the period in which this story was written.

That being said, there is still much to admire in this bizarre fantasy. The opening sequence of the revolution in the Chinese town and the ultimate escape by airplane is tremendously exciting. And the sets, art direction, and photography continue to captivate. I was amazed by the avalanche toward the end of the film, an awe-inspiring effect superior to most of the computer-generated images seen in movies today. And Sam Jaffee steals the show with his perfect portrayal of the High Lama.

I understand the yearning of some people for a place like Shangri-La. For me, however, it's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Streep is sensational!

[8/10 · 21 July 2006]

"The Devil Wears Prada" is a smart, amusing look at an industry that few take seriously yet one that affects almost everybody in some way.

I thought all the performers were up to the task, but the brilliant Meryl Streep as the demanding editor-in-chief of a Vogue-like fashion magazine creates a character that is absolutely unforgettable. Lesser actresses would have chewed up the scenery as a shouting, wild-eyed boss-from-hell; instead, Streep underplays it with a kind of resignation that no one can possibly meet her standards, that she is doomed to be surrounded by failure and incompetence.

In one marvelous scene in which the top editorial staff is planning the next issue of the magazine, Streep wearily dismisses all suggestions as uninspired or yesterday's news. But when the art director finally offers a truly original idea, there are no smiles or words of praise from Streep. She simply says, very coolly, "I'm glad someone came to work today."

You don't have to labor in the high-fashion world to relate to Meryl Streep's driven executive in this movie. "The Devil Wears Prada" is highly recommended.