Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

4/5

Preston Sturges's Unfaithfully Yours follows a British concert conductor who suspects his young and beautiful American wife of being unfaithful to him. The movie is a dark comedy, but one that changes mood throughout. As Kyle described it, the film starts as a witty comedy, does a 180 into a tense murder mystery, then finally ends as a Looney Tunes episode of gags and silly sound effects. It really is quite remarkable and unexpected. And yet it maintains a coherence I wouldn't have thought possible given the various dissonant moods.

Technically, the cinematography is pretty good. The directing and music were above average. The characters are fairly shallow and the acting fairly lackluster. Not like it matters that much. It is the humor that you focus on, and the humor you remember. And the humor that makes this movie 4 stars. Check it out if you like Preston Sturges.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040919/

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

3/5

Sullivan's Travels starts off with a truly inspired comic moment that the rest of the movie just doesn't seem to live up to. The plot follows the movie director Sullivan (McCrea) who gets sick of making comedies and musicals in a time of depression and wants to create a picture that means something to people. He decides to live as a tramp to understand what trouble is, to experience the lows of the human condition. Along the way he meets a washed-up actress (Lake) who discovers his intentions and asks to join him. As far as comedy goes, this movie just isn't that funny. At least, not consistently so. There are some moments that made me laugh out loud, but they were few and far between.

While it drops off for the middle half hour, things start to get much more interesting and intricate at about the hour mark. Through an unexpected and surprising chain of events, the comedy seems to veer off into the dismal and depressing. I appreciate the attempt at valuation and redemption, but I wanted a comedy, and a comedy I did not get. Technically, the film was a little better than average, with some quality compositions and a number of long takes. I particularly love the way the story comes back full circle, although the movie doesn't really heed its own advice. I definitely recommend it for some, just know that it's neither an especially great comedy or an especially great drama.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034240/

The Lady Eve (1941)

4/5

The Lady Eve starts off with a cartoon snake planting shiny apples on a tree. And from this Biblical story of temptation and the battle of the sexes comes a classic romantic comedy of the same with countless references back to its origins. A father-daughter con team finds their mark in a clumsy, straitlaced rich boy named Pike (Fonda). The daughter (Stanwyck) finds herself falling in love with the man, but their devious intentions find their way to the forefront and get in the way of their happiness. In between the moments of bittersweet melodrama, there are some very clever moments that not only make you smile, but also laugh out loud. The writing excels in both the plotting and the dialogue to create, in combination with spot-on acting, a pristine, unforgettable movie.

The camerawork and editing are rather ordinary for the most part, although there are a few moments where they still manage to surprise and astound you with each. Despite some amazing writing, there are also a number of gags and gimmicks that seem too stupid or simple for the rest of the movie. There are also some awkward fade-out transitions that seem sudden and/or out of place. These are all rather minor niggles with an otherwise intelligent and immensely enjoyable film.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033804/