PopGap #27: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Written by dorrk |
To direct a picture, a man needs humility. Do you have humility, Mr. Shields?
Handsome and dark view of Hollywood's self-interested tolerance for professional cruelty. Vincente Minnelli's direction is fresh throughout, including surprising bursts of humor along with some stark and bracing visuals. Kirk Douglas leads a solid cast with a controlled performance, saving his scene-chewing for when it counts. Gloria Grahame injects some extra life in the final third, but her impact is limited. The Bad and the Beautiful didn't thrill me but it's a neat piece of craft akin to All About Eve and Sunset Blvd.
The Bad and the Beautiful was brought to my Potluck Film Fest by Flickcharter Grant Douglas Bromley, who can be found on Flickchart under the username grantvbromley. He ranks it on his chart at #58 / 1763 (97%), where it's his second favorite movie from director Vincent Minnelli, out of 20. The Bad and the Beautiful ranked on my Flickchart at #911 (76%), making it my fourth favorite Vincent Minnelli movie out of eight.
The Bad and the Beautiful
More info
As movies are added to this list, I'll add them to Letterboxd, here:
https://letterboxd.com/dorrk/list/popgap-26-potluck-film-festival-month-three
As I watch this month's movies I'll post screenshots and comments on these services:
