Sometimes I look up TCM User Reviews on a movie before I watch it... glad I didn't this time. Immediately upon seeing who the stars were, I set my DVR because I DVR anything Powell/Loy. I definitely had more fun watching it in complete ignorance of content, although I must say I almost 'paused' a bit into it to see where the heck the plot was going per the 'teaser'.
After the fun 'loving' first 15 minutes, the writers played a game of 'top this contrivance' amongst each other in penning the script. I was having so much fun chuckling at the 'seeing is believing' stuff and recognizing that anyone being told of such occurrences would, of course, respond with a 'yeah, right' that I paused to see how much time was left in the movie...happy to see 40-50 more minutes of Powell/Loy was yet to come.
The 1.40 hour movie took me about 2 1/2 hours to watch, as I replayed sections to hear what each was saying in some of the talk-over scenes, cause I knew it had to be funny, and to watch the reactions of the actors alongside the speaking actor, who we viewers usually keep our eyes on as a movie goes along instead of the background actors. I also like rewinding to watch for what I think are 'ad-libs' because unexpected reactions of individual characters playing off each other are extra FUNNY'S to catch.
You'll really enjoy the point in this movie where you're hearing Myrna testify to William's sanity as she reasonably sees it, yet it defies 'common' logic; and YET, we viewers know everything she's saying is absolutely true. Moreso, it's fabulous to always know that it is those very behaviors of William that make her, outside of anyone else alive, love him so. We watch and love her reflecting her character off of him, so often surprising us with her ability to change her chic, straight-laced behavior to goofy corny with him. It is Powell's behaviors and how Myrna reacts to them in all their movies that is really the Key to the Endearment we feel for them as a couple. NO WAY would we, their audience, have ever allowed the movie writers to take this couple away from us with a truly 'final' divorce ending.
Knowing Powell/Loy films are finite and I had seen almost all of them, I couldn't help but feel a bit of bittersweetness, wishing a young William and Myrna were still around to bring life to more well-written scripts. It's only in the last 8 months (my retirement) that I've even become familiar with the 20's, 30's and 40's comedies and all those soooooo funny actors and actresses, only of few of whom I had heard the names of, although I had not seen any of their hilarious movies. I now feel really sad for anyone who hasn't seen these old comedies where the FUNNY is driven by intelligently funny scripts, superb facial expressions, superb 'machine- gun' talking delivery, and superb physical movements (and not all pratfalls) that elicit extended laughter, constant chuckling and consistent smiling.
You'll like this movie although you'll wish you could reach into it and grab Myrna's Mother and throw her off the porch now and then.
After the fun 'loving' first 15 minutes, the writers played a game of 'top this contrivance' amongst each other in penning the script. I was having so much fun chuckling at the 'seeing is believing' stuff and recognizing that anyone being told of such occurrences would, of course, respond with a 'yeah, right' that I paused to see how much time was left in the movie...happy to see 40-50 more minutes of Powell/Loy was yet to come.
The 1.40 hour movie took me about 2 1/2 hours to watch, as I replayed sections to hear what each was saying in some of the talk-over scenes, cause I knew it had to be funny, and to watch the reactions of the actors alongside the speaking actor, who we viewers usually keep our eyes on as a movie goes along instead of the background actors. I also like rewinding to watch for what I think are 'ad-libs' because unexpected reactions of individual characters playing off each other are extra FUNNY'S to catch.
You'll really enjoy the point in this movie where you're hearing Myrna testify to William's sanity as she reasonably sees it, yet it defies 'common' logic; and YET, we viewers know everything she's saying is absolutely true. Moreso, it's fabulous to always know that it is those very behaviors of William that make her, outside of anyone else alive, love him so. We watch and love her reflecting her character off of him, so often surprising us with her ability to change her chic, straight-laced behavior to goofy corny with him. It is Powell's behaviors and how Myrna reacts to them in all their movies that is really the Key to the Endearment we feel for them as a couple. NO WAY would we, their audience, have ever allowed the movie writers to take this couple away from us with a truly 'final' divorce ending.
Knowing Powell/Loy films are finite and I had seen almost all of them, I couldn't help but feel a bit of bittersweetness, wishing a young William and Myrna were still around to bring life to more well-written scripts. It's only in the last 8 months (my retirement) that I've even become familiar with the 20's, 30's and 40's comedies and all those soooooo funny actors and actresses, only of few of whom I had heard the names of, although I had not seen any of their hilarious movies. I now feel really sad for anyone who hasn't seen these old comedies where the FUNNY is driven by intelligently funny scripts, superb facial expressions, superb 'machine- gun' talking delivery, and superb physical movements (and not all pratfalls) that elicit extended laughter, constant chuckling and consistent smiling.
You'll like this movie although you'll wish you could reach into it and grab Myrna's Mother and throw her off the porch now and then.