Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
KnotStronger
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
rickscafe419
Very enjoyable indeed. I always enjoyed the stoic acting of Paul Henreid anyway and to see the very attractive and talented Ida Lupino at age 26 was a treat.The important idea of a beau, either male or female, not being good enough for the family into which he or she's becoming a part of through marriage, is ancient. I know that here in the USA, it reigns galore but of course from studying history, I had learned that the "quality" of the beau in aristocratic Europe families was intense. Like for instance, here in the USA, family crests and all that jazz are meaningless but not so in Europe. There, lineage, pomp and ceremony are of supreme importance.This is why Ida Lupino's entrance into the family of Count Orvid's of Poland is fascinating. It was like pitting the old Brooklyn Dodgers against the mighty New York Yankees in so many World Series games. Obviously in the film, Dodger Lupino didn't stand a chance except for uncle Leopold Baruta's warm understanding of why aristocracy shouldn't destroy love.In the meantime, this enchanting love story is set in the backdrop of maniac Hitler's preparations for invading Poland. The film therefore has tension cleverly wound within the fabric of the entire film. And what will happen to the love affair and marriage of Ida and Paul once Hitler attacks? See for yourself--it's a good movie on Turner Classics.
whpratt1
Ida Lupino gave an outstanding performance as Jennifer Whittredge who is a young British lady who is a companion for a rich lady who loves to eat candy all day long and looks like it. Jennifer visits Poland in 1939 with her employer and go to visit various antique shops in order to bring back items to sell in London. Jennifer meets Paul Henreid, (Count Stephen Orvid) who is from a Royal Family in Poland and immediately is charmed by Jennifer's sweet looks and innocence. Count Stephen is a ladies man and enjoys dating many women, but Jeffinfer catches his eye and then his heart strings and they both fall deeply in love. This royal family become very upset when Stephen and Jennifer tell them they are going to get married, however these two love birds stand firm against the family and start to change their old ways and customs. Hitler is starting his war campaign in 1939 and double talks the Polish Government to believe he will sign a pack of peace with the Polish nation and then attacks their country and burns Warsaw to the ground. This is when the story gets interesting and it shows how the Polish nation fights back against the Nazi Dictator. Great film, great acting and Lupino and Henreid gave outstanding performances and a very good story.
dglink
Vincent Sherman's "In Our Time" tries to do for Poland what "Mrs. Miniver" did for England: raise American awareness to the plight of a European nation besieged by the Nazis. Unfortunately, the film wanders all over the hack-writing map from romance to propaganda to social issues and loses its focus early on. Even the style of the film shifts from intimate drama to semi-documentary with voice-over narration to stirring morale booster complete with back-lit clouds and beams of inspirational light. Despite the varied styles, the movie seems to linger on far too long despite a running time of less than two hours. By the time that the requisite patriotic speech has been made, the music has risen to stirring proportions, and the march towards the sunset has begun, many viewers may already have tuned out.The unconvincing story begins in an antique shop where Ida Lupino, the young companion of Mary Boland, an English antiques buyer, meets Paul Henreid, a Polish nobleman. Only those who have never seen a Hollywood film from the Golden Age will be surprised by the Romeo-and-Juliet romance that develops or by the obstacles that stand between the couple and eternal bliss. Class-conscious family, impending war, and stubborn peasants are only some of the roadblocks to those inspirational beams that beckon on the horizon.Unfortunately, some first-class talent has been lavished on this less-than-classic film. Ida Lupino is the shy companion to an overbearing employer. Within two hours, she blossoms into an assertive woman who fully supports and inspires her husband in his idealistic pursuits. Paul Henreid, whose seductive eyes and voice won Bette Davis and Ingrid Bergman, works his magic on Lupino. Like his role in "Casablanca," Henreid's character is caught up in patriotic fervor and self-sacrifice. Both leads are excellent although they cannot overcome the messy script. Silent film star Alla Nazimova offers especially fine support as Henreid's aristocratic mother. However, while the cast often rises above the writing, "In Our Time" remains dated in its message. Considering what Poland endured under Communism after World War II, many of the film's inspirational lines about fighting for the future ring with irony. Despite the length, lapses, and inconsistencies, Lupino, Henreid, and Nazimova make "In Our Time" worth a viewing, but the film is hardly a repeatable experience.
Neil Doyle
IDA LUPINO is a British young woman visiting Poland and acting as a companion to MARY BOLAND, a wealthy woman fond of collecting antiques. At an antique shop, Ida runs into PAUL HENRIED, who thinks she works at the store. They meet and fall in love, and Ida discovers that he's a Polish count. He insists on showing her around Warsaw and in a few short days they fall in love and, although Ida has misgivings when she meets his family and fails to pass inspection, they do marry.Then the Nazi invasion of Poland looms over the story for the second half of the film. The script is articulate and literate, dealing as it does with the aristocracy for the most part, but terribly slow-moving and Vincent Sherman's direction fails to give the script the pace it needs to maintain interest.Ida plays a more rational and less intense creature than she usually does and gives an assured performance as the British girl who must adjust to her new husband and his family. NANCY COLEMAN is his regal, spoiled sister, NAZIMOVA is his party-loving mother, and VICTOR FRANCEN is Henried's wealthy uncle, a Count who keeps the family financially solvent.But Poland is unable to avoid falling into Hitler's clutches and the story veers into more serious territory with the advent of war and the decision that Henried must make with regard to Poland under Nazi rule.Summing up: A bit tedious at times, but interesting for the performances of Lupino, Henried, Coleman, Francen, Nazimova, Mary Boland and Franz Waxman's melodramatic score.
