1930s Hall of Fame

I was not immediately drawn into Make Way For Tomorrow's opening scene, since there was something about the performances that seemed strangely amateur. The delivery of certain lines almost made me feel like I was watching a high school play. There was an intentional awkwardness there, which does get explained when we learn more about the family dynamics, but the whole situation just didn't sit right with me. I was honestly worried that I wasn't going to be able to enjoy the film at all, but fortunately that wasn't the case.

Warning: The following two paragraphs contain spoilers.

It took a little while, but the performances did start to grow on me. I found myself becoming more and more engaged with the story, and by the time that first phone call was over (the one which interrupted the bridge lesson), the old couple had worked their way into my heart. Their relationship and unwavering love for each other was incredibly sweet, and I'd be lying if I said that their inability to be together didn't cause my eyes to water just a little bit. I think the most memorable scene for me was when Lucy demanded that her husband never know that she was going to an old age home. It was incredibly touching, especially since she also sparring George from having to send her away himself.

After having skimmed some reviews that focused on how emotional the film was, the ending was actually not as depressing as I was anticipating. Yes, it's likely that they may never see each other again, but at least the hope is still alive. Even if that day together was their final goodbye, it was an experience they'd surely remember. I appreciated that the film didn't force an overly sentimental or unrealistically happy ending. We do at least get the satisfaction of seeing the children finally confronted with the fact that they treated their parents poorly, which was another of my favourite scenes.

So despite a rocky start, I did end up liking the film quite a bit. There were some lighter moments here and there which prevented the situation from being completely heartbreaking, while still staying grounded in realism. It's definitely not the kind of film you watch to lift your spirits, but it's not something unpleasant either. I'm glad it was nominated because it's definitely not something I would've tracked down on my own

While there have been films in previous Hall of Fames that I haven't exactly enjoyed, I'm usually able to understand why they are appreciated, or find at least one positive thing to say. This is the first time where that is not going to be the case, and I'm still uncertain how to feel about that. As such, this review is probably going to be significantly shorter than what I would typically write.

Child Bride is not the film I was expecting it to be. I was mentally prepared to watch a dark, exploitative, and truly uncomfortable story. However, what I got was a boring, tedious film that felt like an eternity despite its short runtime. I am not exaggerating when I say that this was one of the worst films I've ever seen. The performances were absolutely appalling, especially from the adults, though the script didn't exactly give them the best material to work with. One thing I am grateful for is the fact that the film's best actor, the dog, remained unharmed on screen. So I guess I did technically think of something positive after all.