Love Me Tonight
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Movie Reviews of Love Me Tonight
Movie Review: exquisite and very funny........
Summary: 5 Stars
If you haven't seen "Love Me Tonight," or are not familiar with it, I definitely reccomend that you check it out. This is a great example of the brilliance of the collaboration of Richard Rogers (songwriter) and Lorenz Hart (lyricist). Not only is the music witty, biting and intelligent (and has stood the test of time today), full of innuendo and pointed jabs at the hang-ups of society and the class system, but the whole film succeeds as a musical, comedy, love story and social commentary.
Maurice (Maurice Chevalier) is a Parisian tailor dripping with charm, wit and a true "joie de vivre" (joy for life). He is truly content to make suits for his customers, flirt with pretty mademoiselles and muse on his future--ideally with a wife and a pack of children on the way. It is when one of his royal customers (Charles Ruggles) stiffs him on the payment of fifteen suits that he decides to seek redemption and payment for his merchandise. It is on his journey to the chateau of this customer, that he encounter the beautiful Princess Jeanette (Jeanette McDonald), a 22 year old young lady wasting away in her tower, awaiting the arrival of Prince Charming.
This musical combines racy, pre-censorship code humor, hysterical musical numbers comparable to up-tempo comedic operatic arias, and cutting edge camera tricks (slow motion, zoom lense, etc.) that were years ahead of its time. You can tell that the young Maurice Chevalier was getting a kick out of hamming it up for the cameras, as a true, romantic Frenchman, in love with love. I will honestly be surprised if you don't get swept up in his infectious warmth or the irrerepressible charm of this great, underappreciated little masterpiece......
Movie Review: A Landmark Musical
Summary: 5 Stars
Another perfect film is now readily available on DVD. This film is widely recognised as one of the best musicals ever. It combines a superb Rodgers and Hart score with the subtle sexy humour of Ernst Lubitsch and the visual flair which Rouben Mamoulian, the director, brought to so many of his films.
Maurice Chevalier plays a tailor who meets princess Jeanette MacDonald when he visits her castle to collect outstanding debts from Charlie Ruggles. Macdonald is a widow who keeps fainting not from "wasting away" as the doctor diagnoses, but "being wasted". Macdonald falls for Chevalier and after a few plot devices which will keep them apart because he is a commoner, they reunite to live happily ever after. If the story sounds like a fairy tale, it is but that does not detract from the enchantment of the piece.
Chevalier plays his usual charming self and Macdonald is sexy and funny in a way she rarely showed with Nelson Eddy. Myrna Loy is ravishing as her nymphomaniac cousin and this comes as a surprise to those who know her as the perfect wife. All of the supporting cast are memorable though Charlie Ruggles steals every scene in which he appears.
The score includes the incomparable "Mimi", "Lover" and "Isn't it Romantic". The commentary by Miles Kreuger is outstanding, avoiding mere biographical details and really giving us insight into the relevance of this film in 1932 and why it still stands up today. There is a lot of information about what was cut from the film when it was reissued, cuts which have been lost for ever at this date. The DVD print is excellent but there is quite a bit of background surface noise at times which can be distracting.
Movie Review: WOW! [X 100!]
Summary: 5 Stars
JEANETTE [to Myrna]"Do you ever think of ANYTHING but MEN!?"MYRNA [replies boldly]: " Yes, .....SCHOOLBOYS!"
[As for the line about 'a peach must be eaten .......' WELL!]
THAT's the kind of delightful precode humor in this special, spectacular - and extremely advanced for its period MUSICAL BON-BON by the Great ROUBEN MAMOULIAN.
SIMPLE TALE of tangled identities - a Princess, a Tailor, a few eccentric relatives, and a Stag! [As in Stag Hunt] - 'Auntie Mame's' foxhunt owes quite a lot to this special episode, counterpointing the stag - ala bambi music - versus the thundering hooves of the hunt ..... then there's 'Solitude' - Chevalier's 'not so trusty' steed .... this one laid the foundation - a riot.
ALSO, Miss Jean-ette's [that's correct not je-net - but Jean-ette] unique way of stopping a train ..... and what a babe - err, lady for that period ... so's Miss Loy - exquitely gowned in contemporary costumes for that period.
From the unuslay percussive ala "Triplets of Belleville" opening - through Chevalier's trend setting "American In Paris" flaunt through the neighborhood - We know we're in for something special - zoom shots, slow motion, fast motion - it's all here - even a 'soldier's chorus' similar to the "Evita" group warbelling furiously.
DELIGHTFUL DVD - with LOTS OF EXTRAS - including trailer, gallery shots, two music 'videos' - JUST PERFECT.
NOW, just where is the other MACDONALD/CHEVALIER outing - Merry Widow"? Would be nice.
AND this one - although pre-code - is kidsafe ..... SUCH FUN TO BEHOLD!
Jeanette MacDonald also shows WHAT it meant to be a STAR - prfect teeth, smile, profile, hair - it's all there - just look!
Movie Review: A PERFECTLY ENCHANTING MUSICAL FAIRY TALE
Summary: 5 Stars
Directed by Rouben Mamoulian and released by Paramount in 1932, LOVE ME TONIGHT was the film that the director proclaimed was his masterpiece. Coming from the man who made such diverse cinema treasures as DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931), QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933), and THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940), that's saying a lot.
Often cited as one of, if not the greatest musical ever made, LOVE ME TONIGHT rates its high marks in Mamoulian's brilliant, innovative style of having the songs advance the story, all of it done with the visual flair of a true cinematic genius. The apex of this style is reached at the end when princess Jeanette MacDonald, on horseback, chases after the train that's carrying her dejected lover, Maurice Chevalier. It's no exaggeration to say that what Mamoulian does here with music, action, sound, and cross-cutting is absolutely magnificent.
Put simply, LOVE ME TONIGHT is pure perfection; once you've experienced its magic and have been captivated by its irresistible charm, you'll never forget it. A winner all the way.
The audio commentary is by Miles Kreuger, who knew Rouben Mamoulian personally and is therefore authoritative. Other extras include 2 musical shorts with Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier, photos and promotional material, the original trailer, and documents pertaining to the production and various censorship requirements.
Movie Review: Excellent DVD presentation
Summary: 5 Stars
Kino has done a wonderful job with the DVD presentation of this great film. The transfer is excellent, with only a few speckles, and excellent shadow detail. Blacks look rich and vibrant, and the whites look brilliant. Suprisingly, for a 71 year old movie, there is hardly any grain, and I am watching this film on a 50 inch screen. Even the stock Paris footage looks amazing and clean. There are hardly any jump cuts, except for the cuts instigated by hard-line censor Breen for subsequent reissues. The frames show remarkable stability. In summary, I was extremely surprised. The soundtrack does not quite match the quality of the video. However, all the dialogue is very clear, with an occasional hiss on the mono soundtrack. Let's not forget the age of the film.The commentary by Miles Kreuger is about a 4 out of 5. He is very interested in the film, and the works of director Mamoulian, and is informative, especially in matters regarding the horrendous cuts inflicted by the post-code censor. He seems to know alot about the cast, especially the supporting cast. However, do we really need to know the birth date and the life story of an actor who has a very minor role, that is, only occupies seconds of screen time. Hopefully, Miles may improve in subsequent audio commentaries.
Congratulations Kino, and thanks for allowing cinephiles to finally view this film at home.