Rating of
4/4
All About Eve review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 09/20/11
The story starts in an awards dinner setting with Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) accepting the Sarah Siddons Award. A popular stage actress named Margo Channing (Bette Davis) adopts Eve before she was even recognized. Margo’s close friend Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) introduced Eve. The talented play writer Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe) is Karen’s husband while the director Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill) is Margo’s loyal and trustworthy boyfriend. Eve becomes a competent aid to Margo since she was enamored with her fame and performances in Broadway. A theater critic named Addison DeWitt (George Sanders) ensures that Eve gets recognition and is well aware of her real personality and identity. A few fascinating quotes: Margo Channing – “Fasten your seatbelts; it's going to be a bumpy night.” “In this rat race, everybody's guilty till they're proved innocent!” “Everybody has a heart - except some people." “As it happens, there are particular aspects of my life to which I would like to maintain sole and exclusive rights and privileges.” Eve Harrington – “But somehow, acting and make believe began to fill up my life more and more. It got so I couldn't tell the real from the unreal. Except that the unreal seemed more real to me.”
In my opinion, this is one of the best screenplays written for the big screen. The casting was seamless since all of them delivered their lines fluidly without any blemishes. You can even see a young Marilyn Monroe. Its brilliant script, superb performances and exceptional direction was clearly evident. The cultural impact and recognitions such as the 14 Academy nominations, 6 Golden Globe nominations, 6 Academy Awards, 1 Golden Globe award, a myriad of other awards won and being included in one of the best of film lists speaks volumes of its legacy after several years of its release. The drama and humor was excellently fused; one of many witty lines – “A milkshake” “The bed looks like a dead animal act.” Subjects of ambition/envy, vanity, privacy, loyalty (Bill), truth (constant lies of Eve), acceptance (Margo), married life and friendship were symbolized from the radiant picture. In the words of Lloyd Richards – “There are very few moments in life as good as this. Let's remember it. To each of us and all of us, never have we been more close, may we never be farther apart.” All About Eve is a very charming movie with engaging dialogues, magnificent acting, affable characters and lavish set pieces/wardrobes. People will always remember its legacy and may enjoy this film as many times we want, to keep it close to everybody’s hearts.
