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The Lady Eve, 1941
Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) is part of a trio of con artists/card sharks who mostly operate on a cruise ship. When hapless (but very rich!) Charles (Henry Fonda) crosses her path, Jean automatically sets out to seduce him. But soon the game turns into real love. Can their relationship survive Jean's deception?
I quite enjoyed this film, and especially the first half, though I felt it lost steam and focus in the final third. Undoubtedly my favorite sequences were those in which Jean and her main con partner, the Colonel (Charles Coburn) bantered and, at times, sabotaged each others' intentions. There is a standout sequence in which Jean, Charles, and the Colonel are playing a game of cards--the Colonel is using every slight-of-hand trick he knows to beat Charles, while Jean capably goes head-to-head with slight-of-hand of her own to ensure that Charles does not lose. It is a funny but tense sequence, and it is wonderfully shot with the main action consisting of knowing glances and seemingly trivial movements.
Really, the movie shines brightest when it is letting Stanwyck do her thing as Jean, whether that's brilliantly manipulating Charles into ogling her, or defending him against being scammed by her partners. It is in her role as a conwoman that Jean comes across as strong, smart, and interesting.
Unfortunately, the character of Charles is a bit of a drip. Fonda does a good job of making the character mostly lovable and dopey. But in certain parts later in the film he crosses a line between dopey and dumb. Jean is such a strong, sparkling character, and it feels somehow wrong that THIS is the guy who makes her want to give it all up.
And what's worse is that by the end of the film, I didn't really care for their romance at all. There's a scene late in the film where Jean admits to having had sex when she was 16, and Charles FLIPS OUT and basically has a mild breakdown as he processes the fact that this person he loves *shocked face* has had sex before. I know that it's "of the time" or whatever, but it kind of soured me on the character. This scene is saved by what happens next, which is an increasingly elaborate confession from Jean that makes it sound as if she has slept with half of the US population. Stanwyck really sells the humor, and it ends up being mostly funny.
What you really feel in the second half of the film is the lack of spark from the scenes between Jean and her fellow con artists. Charles is a wet blanket, and his character is fun when he is the unknowing dupe in the middle of two con artists each pushing their own desire. But when he is asked to stand on his own as a purely comedic/romantic lead, there just isn't enough there.
The Lady Eve, 1941
Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) is part of a trio of con artists/card sharks who mostly operate on a cruise ship. When hapless (but very rich!) Charles (Henry Fonda) crosses her path, Jean automatically sets out to seduce him. But soon the game turns into real love. Can their relationship survive Jean's deception?
I quite enjoyed this film, and especially the first half, though I felt it lost steam and focus in the final third. Undoubtedly my favorite sequences were those in which Jean and her main con partner, the Colonel (Charles Coburn) bantered and, at times, sabotaged each others' intentions. There is a standout sequence in which Jean, Charles, and the Colonel are playing a game of cards--the Colonel is using every slight-of-hand trick he knows to beat Charles, while Jean capably goes head-to-head with slight-of-hand of her own to ensure that Charles does not lose. It is a funny but tense sequence, and it is wonderfully shot with the main action consisting of knowing glances and seemingly trivial movements.
Really, the movie shines brightest when it is letting Stanwyck do her thing as Jean, whether that's brilliantly manipulating Charles into ogling her, or defending him against being scammed by her partners. It is in her role as a conwoman that Jean comes across as strong, smart, and interesting.
Unfortunately, the character of Charles is a bit of a drip. Fonda does a good job of making the character mostly lovable and dopey. But in certain parts later in the film he crosses a line between dopey and dumb. Jean is such a strong, sparkling character, and it feels somehow wrong that THIS is the guy who makes her want to give it all up.
And what's worse is that by the end of the film, I didn't really care for their romance at all. There's a scene late in the film where Jean admits to having had sex when she was 16, and Charles FLIPS OUT and basically has a mild breakdown as he processes the fact that this person he loves *shocked face* has had sex before. I know that it's "of the time" or whatever, but it kind of soured me on the character. This scene is saved by what happens next, which is an increasingly elaborate confession from Jean that makes it sound as if she has slept with half of the US population. Stanwyck really sells the humor, and it ends up being mostly funny.
What you really feel in the second half of the film is the lack of spark from the scenes between Jean and her fellow con artists. Charles is a wet blanket, and his character is fun when he is the unknowing dupe in the middle of two con artists each pushing their own desire. But when he is asked to stand on his own as a purely comedic/romantic lead, there just isn't enough there.