Grand Hotel (Snap case)
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Movie Reviews of Grand Hotel (Snap case)
Movie Review: Garbo and Crawford, need I say more?
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally on DVD, Grand Hotel is an early talkie classic that deserves all the praise it has received over the (many) years. The film offers some truly great performances, production quality, and a gripping story about the various people who stay at the Grand Hotel and how their particular lives intertwine. There is Garbo as a "disillusioned ballerina," who is particularly meloncholic and manic. She goes from low to high and then low again quite fast, you may wonder if she is schizoprenic. Then again, there are some devastating closeups to put all detractors to rest. As for Joan Crawford, all that needs to be said is that she is timeless as the ambitious stenographer (with, as it turns out at the end, a good heart). She offers the only performance in the film that would fit right in with modern audiences. There isn't a hint of the archaic silent style that other actors of the time were holding on to, and her style and appearance come across as very contemporary and likeable.
John and Lionel Barrymore are also terrific as two good-hearted people who are facing bad times. One has no luck and resorts to theft and the other has the first good luck in his life, even as he is dying. Wally Beery is also memorable as the rather careless boss.
Best thing about this DVD? I'd have to say the excellent picture quality of this legendary film, the legendary performances it contains, and the very special 1932 film premiere clip of Grand Hotel (on the extra features section). There we can see Joan in her prime, and apparently as shy and full of humility as most of her detractors would never guess she possessed.
Movie Review: Dazzling!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard to believe that a film made in the early days of talking pictures could be so totally enjoyable for today's audience! The secret, besides a clever script, dazzling sets and costumes, of course is the cast! Wow! Some people complain that the acting is too mannered, especially in the cases of John Barrymore and Greta Garbo but I heartily disagree. Garbo plays a grand diva of the old school--she thinks big, acts big, lives big. Mumbling of the type of modern acting brought on by The Actors' Studio is not appropriate here. This is more akin to Grand Opera---big passions, big gestures. The scenes with Barrymore and Garbo are priceless--two great, beautiful people---look at those perfect profiles! The chemistry between them was apparent. How fortunate we are to have this recorded on film for us.
I did not know who played the spunky little stenographer and was amazed to discover it was Joan Crawford. She was very good here and showed a sweet, innocent quality that she lost somewhere along the way, unfortunately. The rest of the cast, as everyone else has mentioned, is ...stellar!
Visually this is just such a treat. The costumes are wonderful..I loved Garbo's (politically incorrect) full length fur coats.
Usually I have to make mental "allowances" for these old films to compensate for stilted acting and unsophisticated scripts, but this was totally not needed for Grand Hotel. Totally classy, totally enjoyable!
Movie Review: They Don't Even Try To Make Them Like This Anymore.
Summary: 5 Stars
Some films in recent years are made with grand scope, thick plots, charming characters. I would say about 15%. The others just pass the time.
Grand Hotel, like, say "Dances With Wolves" has that scope. Grand Hotel, like "Chinatown," has that thick plot. Grand Hotel, like "L.A. Confidential," has those charming characters. It's a rare experience to see something done by people who care about making a good product. That's the 15%. The others make "Gigli."
This ensemble piece as all kinds of different stories going on, weaved together at the end with a common frame. The Barrymores are standouts as two unlikely friends: one a Baron/cat burlar who's down on his luck and the other, an older fellow with terminal health who is spending his last dime in the pursuit of fun before he dies. Wallace Beery plays an arrogant, self-centered tycoon who will burn anyone to keep his business afloat. Joan Crawford is his secretary. She's a nice girl who feels that she must occasionally sacrifice her dignity to survive. Rounding out the stellar cast is Greta Garbo, a famous dancer with serious self-esteem issues.
You really can't get much better than this for the 1930's. And it seems to be over before you know it.
Movie Review: Ultimate Movie Legend!
Summary: 5 Stars
When younger movie buffs ask me for suggestions for "old" movies they should watch to get an idea of Hollywood's long-gone glamor, "Grand Hotel" is my answer. On this beautifully restored DVD, you catch mythical movie stars at their peak. Garbo, Crawford, the Barrymore brothers, etc. More than that, thanks to MGM's phenomenal crew of artisans, you can study how legends were created--from Adrian's sleek gowns and furs for the ladies to the severely tailored suits for the men. From the highly lit art deco sets of Cedric Gibbons to the wonderfully stylized performances elicited from the magical cast by British director, Edmund Goulding. Those meticulous close-ups of Garbo and Joan Crawford took hours and hours to light and film. You can watch the physical beauty of John Barrymore, just before he slid into acute alcoholism. The music, those great limousines, the sets, the make-up, MGM's superb array of character actors (dig Rafaella Ottiano as Garbo's long-suffering maid), help contribute to the powerful ambiance of Hollywood in l931. There are some great goodie extras, too. I'm glad I got this DVD because I've worn out at least 3 video tapes of this timeless classic.Movie Review: GRAND ENTERTAINMENT.....
Summary: 5 Stars
The Best Picture of 1931-2 "Grand Hotel" deserved it's Oscar and deserves it's place in history as a forerunner of star-studded films to come. The cast alone is worth watching the film for. But the film stands on it's own as well and is smoothly done considering the intertwining stories of various people whose paths (and fates) cross in that posh Berlin establishment. Greta Garbo as a depressed ballerina is one reason to see this but there's John and Lionel Barrymore in great roles, Joan Crawford as an ambitious stenographer with moral issues, Wallace Beery and other recognizable actors in character roles. Warner Bros. has done a good job with the DVD print so this is definitely a collector's item. There are some amazing interior shots inside the hotel with a wonderful art deco look to them. This hotel where "nothing ever happens" is a must for vintage classic film lovers. It's a rare treasure that's been wonderfully preserved for future film lovers to enjoy. See it for a classic look at what going to the movies in the 30's used to be about.