quiet_curiosity (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
quiet_curiosity) wrote2010-02-12 02:48 pm
quiet_curiosity) wrote2010-02-12 02:48 pm
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A Woman of Affairs (1928)
Summary: Diana derails her life to cover for her husband, David, whose suicide confounds everyone. Her choice leaves her abandoned by her brother, Jeffry, and former lover, Neville. It is only by chance that she returns to London mere days before Neville's marriage to Constance. Their re-acquaintance eventually throws everyone's lives into a tailspin.
Stars: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lewis Stone, Johnny Mack Brown, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Hobart Bosworth, Dorothy Sebastian
Directed by: Clarence Brown
Viewed Via: TCM/DVR
Current Commercial Availability: Unavailable
1) There's just something about the plot that does not work. Maybe it's the notorious plot changes that were made to get the film made? Especially in current times, the story of a man with high power killing himself because he didn't want to jail for his financial crimes is very ho-hum. But they obviously couldn't go with the syphilis reason from the book. But, really, embezzling? It just seems so traceable. Why did the cops who came to arrest him never say anything? Did she really pay them off that quickly? And certainly there would have been some sort arrest warrant or records for the police work that went into pinning this crime on him. Why did none of that ever come to light?
It is, sadly, believable that they'd all jump to believe that Diana was at fault. Women are all terrible whores, doncha know? Story specific: Jeffry's crush (well, that's how it reads!) blinds him to David's potential faults. Neville's father never liked her and was ready to believe the worst. And Neville, despite being madly in love with Diana, is a pushover who would do/believe whatever his father wants.
2) Garbo is, for the most part, fine. There are moments where she's too unconvincingly histrionic but those moments are few and far between. The role itself was one that Garbo had really wanted.
3) Despite being the co-lead, there's nothing for Gilbert here. His role is very staid and motionless. He doesn't really do much. His performance is all right for what it is but Gilbert, the actor, is supremely underutilized and just marking time.
4) Douglas Fairbanks Jr., while certainly very handsome when cleaned up, chews a ton of scenery as Diana's alcoholic, David-obsessed brother. I was underwhelmed. But I would love to see some Jeffry/David.
5) Dorothy Sebastian plays a serviceable nice girl. But her character is just mowed over by the dysfunction junction she entered by marrying Neville. However, she and Gilbert do have a very cute, flirtatious moment about halfway through the film. It almost makes you think that the characters' marriage would have worked had everything not been so screwed up.
6) I actually like Lewis Stone here. His steady personality was needed. And it was nice for Garbo to have a character who was actually on her side. She's normally sort of out there and alone (re: w/o a friend) in her silents that it was nice to see someone on her side.
7) The end? It made sense story-wise but I was pretty cold to it. I can't explain it.
Overall, this was a disappointment.
Stars: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lewis Stone, Johnny Mack Brown, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Hobart Bosworth, Dorothy Sebastian
Directed by: Clarence Brown
Viewed Via: TCM/DVR
Current Commercial Availability: Unavailable
1) There's just something about the plot that does not work. Maybe it's the notorious plot changes that were made to get the film made? Especially in current times, the story of a man with high power killing himself because he didn't want to jail for his financial crimes is very ho-hum. But they obviously couldn't go with the syphilis reason from the book. But, really, embezzling? It just seems so traceable. Why did the cops who came to arrest him never say anything? Did she really pay them off that quickly? And certainly there would have been some sort arrest warrant or records for the police work that went into pinning this crime on him. Why did none of that ever come to light?
It is, sadly, believable that they'd all jump to believe that Diana was at fault. Women are all terrible whores, doncha know? Story specific: Jeffry's crush (well, that's how it reads!) blinds him to David's potential faults. Neville's father never liked her and was ready to believe the worst. And Neville, despite being madly in love with Diana, is a pushover who would do/believe whatever his father wants.
2) Garbo is, for the most part, fine. There are moments where she's too unconvincingly histrionic but those moments are few and far between. The role itself was one that Garbo had really wanted.
3) Despite being the co-lead, there's nothing for Gilbert here. His role is very staid and motionless. He doesn't really do much. His performance is all right for what it is but Gilbert, the actor, is supremely underutilized and just marking time.
4) Douglas Fairbanks Jr., while certainly very handsome when cleaned up, chews a ton of scenery as Diana's alcoholic, David-obsessed brother. I was underwhelmed. But I would love to see some Jeffry/David.
5) Dorothy Sebastian plays a serviceable nice girl. But her character is just mowed over by the dysfunction junction she entered by marrying Neville. However, she and Gilbert do have a very cute, flirtatious moment about halfway through the film. It almost makes you think that the characters' marriage would have worked had everything not been so screwed up.
6) I actually like Lewis Stone here. His steady personality was needed. And it was nice for Garbo to have a character who was actually on her side. She's normally sort of out there and alone (re: w/o a friend) in her silents that it was nice to see someone on her side.
7) The end? It made sense story-wise but I was pretty cold to it. I can't explain it.
Overall, this was a disappointment.