Rating of
4/4
"I'm so happy you're happy."
Arbogast1960 - wrote on 03/27/08
Perhaps the best screenplay ever written. Bette Davis surely deserved the Oscar over Judy Holliday (who was serviceable, but little more, and is eviscerated by both Davis' tour de force and Gloria Swanson's study in grand delusion in Sunset Blvd.). The story of backstabbing as a means of social and vocational climbing is timeless, and the performances are fantastic (especially Davis and George Sanders, beguiling as the acid-tongued Addison DeWitt). While I agree that Sunset Blvd. is probably the (slightly) better film (certainly today it's cynicism strikes a stronger chord than does this film), I can't say the Academy made a mistake rewarding the outstanding work it saw here; it's essentially a toss up. This one is my favorite of the two (but only slightly), because of the writing. Most films, even well-written ones, rely so heavily on other elements (acting, directing, the loathsome omnipresent CGI of today) that the screenplay gets obscured. And where the screenplay does become the focus of the film's efforts, it often ends up feeling stagy (even great films like A Man for All Seasons suffer from this). Somehow this film avoids those troubles, and in the process presents a truly memorable experience.
