Ok, Rented Blue Ruin, I, Daniel Blake and Shine. Let’s see if Neiba can continue his run Incredible run in these General HOF.
To do that I first need to watch all the films here!
Let's get this party started then:
Mildred Pierce (1945)
It's an interesting combination of genres, with what is actually a drama but told in the structure of a noir. The cinematography (which looks stunning btw) of the opening of the film even suggests this will be a quintessential noir but as the story progresses the less important the murder presented in the beggining seems when compared to how these characters interact.
I do think the acting was very good, especially from the young Ann Blyth which portrays one of the most despicable characters I've seen recently. Joan Crawford was very good too if I consider that the flaws of this movie (that I think are pretty much on her character) happen due to the director/screenwriter's choices of characters building and not so much due to her work.
First, 2 major things happen to Mildred in the first 30/40 minutes of film which are a divorce and the death of a daughter and I didn't see her being affected enough. In fact, the divorce does absolutely nothing to her and the death of child even does less if you think how much it should matter. Even the way they happen it's totally anti-climatic, there's no weight to it.
Secondly, is that Mildred is too much of a contradiction for me to find her credible. We have a woman who raises an empire from the ground due to hard work and incredible vision but that gets manipulated by a teenager who doesn't even appear that smart beyond what's humanly tolerable. If you can let that slide due to her being her daughter, I don't see how to apply love as the reason to the way she lets Monte manipulate her. She doesn't love him, she knows that and I don't see how she needs him. If she has the money, is Monte only there for the status, so she can get her child back? I find it too big of a stretch, to be honest.
There's also Wally who must be the only smart character on the film - talks much but always wanted the best of Mildred without being stupid because of that - and Bert who is very hard to read and who I wished to see more of.
So we have a main character constantly making the wrong decisions and that ultimately hurts my ability to care for whatever happens to her which should be, IMO, the whole purpose of the film.
Otherwise, it's a good film, with some very interesting traits and great moments, but I can't help but think this story had more potential than this.
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