Movie: An Affair to Remember

[amedia]

Somehow I had gotten the impression--perhaps from Sleepless in Seattle--that An Affair to Remember was a syrupy melodrama through and through, but figured it was pretty much a necessity to watch, having seen Sleepless, so we got it from Netflix. What a pleasant surprise! It started out very witty and gradually became more serious, but never lost its sparkle. I quite enjoyed it.

Comments

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

1. Never underestimate Deborah Kerr.

a. The King and I
b. Night of the Iguana
c. From Here To Eternity

(Was that the same woman? Yes!)

2. Never underestimate a British man who came from a working class background and makes it big in films. Even in a bad film their work ethic is so strong they give a good performance.

a. Cary Grant
b. Michael Caine

(feel free to add on)

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I didn't know Deborah Kerr was in Night of the Iguana! I LOVE your tidbits and insights. :-)

The DVD of Affair to Remember came with a neat little half-hour background special, like the kind they sometimes show on AMC. A lot of it was about Cary Grant's crush on Sophia Loren, but there were more interesting bits as well, including clips from the earlier movie that this movie was based on, starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer, which I had never even heard of. (The IMDB pointed out that Irene Dunne had also played Anna in an earlier non-musical movie, so that Kerr seemed to be following Dunne from one movie to another!)

Can we add Peter O'Toole to your list of working-class actors from the British Isles?

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

Deborah gave a brilliant performance in "Iguana" She was really up against it. Between Ava Gardner being so sexy she made the room fog up and Richard Burton doing his full on roar it would seem easy for her to get lost. Deborah was playing a demure character, and oh my, did she ever give them a run. By the time she was done it was evident this soft spoken woman was just a much a force of nature in her own way as the other two. They were the thunder and the rain. She was the wind. It is as astonishing film.

Yep, we can definitely add Peter! In all honesty he has turned in some lazy-ass performances so he does not fit into the "strong work ethic" category. To his defense when he was bad he was usually so zealously on an "I don't give a shit tear" that his performance was worth seeing ;)

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I'm glad you enjoy the tidbits!

Adding on

[rh-andi.livejournal.com]

(c) Sean Connery - so he's Scots. That's still UK.
(d) Edward Woodward - okay, not so working class, but of that mentality...

More?

Re: Adding on

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

Was Edward born working class? If he was then he qualifies in the "such a strong work ethic that even in a bad film he gave a good performance" category :) The man always gave grand performances. He was perfection in the original, complete version of "The Wicker Man."

Sir Sean fits in the special "Peter O'Toole Category" of actors who were sometimes so lazy-ass awful that their zealous "I don't give a shit just give me the money tear" was entertaining! This category opens the field; Richard Burton, Richard Harris, The Grand Oliver Reed, Terrance Stamp and David Hemmings all fit into it also.

We now have two, count them two categories of British working class actors who made it big in films:

1. A British man who came from a working class background and even in a bad film their work ethic is so strong they give a good performance category.

2. A British man who came from a working class background and sometimes they gave an "I don't give a shit just hand me the money lazy-ass" performance but were so entertaining awful they will be forgiven much category.

Fee free to add on :)