Movie Reviews for Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

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Movie Reviews of Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Movie Review: Mr and Mrs Bridge
Summary: 5 Stars

The story is slow paced. What really attracts me to this movie besides the actors is the story itself. Were women really this meek and never expressed openions other than their husbands. Thank goodness for Women's Lib.

Movie Review: It's a little to soft, but there is much to be said about the brilliant acting going on here...
Summary: 4 Stars

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are brilliantly composed and controlled in this very quiet, very sincere film by James Ivory. The film for the most part is very well done, and it can be very emotionally stirring in scenes, but the film rests solely on the shoulders of the very fine cast which elevate what could have been a dull film into a film that one should make a point to see.

In other words; the film as a whole is not as strong as its stars.

`Mr. & Mrs. Bridge' tells the story of the Bridge family as they try and keep themselves together through the 30's and 40's. The father, Walter, is a controlling and almost domineering man. The mother, India, is lost within herself, not quite sure where her place is within her own home. The children all seem to rebel in their own ways; Ruth desiring to become an actress in New York, Carolyn desiring to marry a man beneath her socially and Douglas desiring to quit school and join the Air Force. These five individuals make up a very interesting yet ultimately average household during the World War II era.

James Ivory has a very crisp and elegant way of painting a film, and he executes this film beautifully as well. The only issue I have with `Mr. & Mrs. Bridge' is that it is so quiet and so smooth that it almost falls into the category of uninteresting at times. It can come off rather bland (it took me three sittings to watch it all the way through because I kept falling asleep). It's not that the film isn't interesting or that the characters aren't fleshed out wonderfully (and by god, the film is beautifully acted), it's just that the fluidity of the film is almost too relaxing. There is nothing sharp and jolting that shakes us in our boots. Even when drama is unfolding, as it does when family friend Grace Barron begins to lose her mind, it unfolds in such a serene manor that it feels less urgent than it probably should.

If one watches the film early enough in the day (I have a problem with starting films far too late in the evening) then one should be able to make it through in one setting.

While the overall construction of the film may cause our attention to wane a tad, it is important to note that the performances by the entire cast work extra hard to reel us back in. The two main stars are glorious, but even the supporting players all pull out all the stops here. Blythe Danner is such a brilliant actress, and her portrayal of Grace is really the most stirring in the entire film. She pops up at just the right moment to keep our attention firmly planted in the film. Kyra Sedgwick is darling as Ruth, but she is upstaged by Margaret Welsh who slinks into Carolyn with effortless grace. Robert Sean Leonard was one of those young actors who was always outshone by his co-stars (by Hawke in `Dead Poets Society' and by Bale in `Swing Kids') yet he always was consistently putting in a very good performance. This is no exception.

But yes, this movie belongs to Newman and Woodward. It is very understandable by Woodward was nominated for the Oscar this year, but it's astounding to me that Newman was not. If Woodward sets the emotional tone for the film, it is Newman who helps develop it. His nuanced portrayal of the very conservative Walter is so naturally commanding. Joanne is heartbreaking as India, and her emotional struggle throughout the film is wonderfully developed for us. They make such a splendid pair.

I will say that I was very unimpressed with the end of the film. It builds itself up as if it is going to have this harrowing climax (which really would have been welcome) and instead ends on a rather quite and reserved note. I can't really complain too much, for the film is wonderfully done and is really technically impeccable, it just lacks any real oomph. This is not a film one can watch over and over again, but the performances make it well worth at least one ride. I just wish that the approach to some of the material had been a little edgier maybe, a little more drastic so that it would have made a bigger impact. It could have been an A+ film, really, but will have to settle with a B from me.

Movie Review: Generation gap pre-WWII
Summary: 4 Stars

There is so much good to say about "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge." As usual, the Merchant/Ivory team produce quality work that looks good, sounds good, plays well, and makes the viewer both think and feel. It draws us in and gets us involved with the characters. Although the stories are often slight, the characters involved wouldn't think so because this is their lives we're watching. This production team knows how to thrive in this setting, and this film is no exception. Trying to pin down the relationship between the title characters is as elusive as with any real people, which is a rare and wonderful thing in the entertainment world. Too often writers and directors feel they have to bludgeon us over the head with messages and obvious black/white issue statements that preach.

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge obviously love each other dearly; he is wholly devoted to her, faithful, protective, and tender to a fault so that she is sheltered. Consequently their children have little respect for her, the rich lady with a maid who fusses over them like children as they go off to college, to a career, or to war. Mr. & Mrs. Bridge are not comfortable with the way society around them is changing.

There are a huge number of beautifully understated moments in the screenplay and in its onscreen execution. Every moment feels authentic....except that I can't get over the feeling that Paul Newman is awfully miscast in this role. Mr. Bridge is so uptight he squeaks when he walks, and it's not his shoes. This is not the Paul Newman we know from a long career of playing hustlers, con men, and disreputable scalawags. Although he often manages to pull off the extremely responsible Mr. Bridge, it's often difficult for the audience to get past seeing him race cars, shoot pool, or dig a ditch on a chain gang as we have over the years. Some actors could pull this off; Newman falls just short. Fortunately he is surrounded by others who wear their characters as neatly as he wears his suit. Newman playing the title role really interferes with the story.

Worse than that is the ending, which basically comes out of nowhere. There is no payoff, emotional or otherwise; it simply feels like the film broke during the final reel and the projectionist simply brought up the house lights rather than fix it. This also comes at the end of a scene that begins equally abruptly, as if something important had wound up on the cutting room floor, when the Bridges' son shows up in Air Corps uniform although the audience is never told he had been anywhere but at home, and apparently several months or years have passed. The whole ending act is thus completely out of kilter...and then it's over.

Newman's past history and the final act of the film, however, don't ruin a remarkable character study in repression, rebellion, and self-control to the point of anal retention. "Mr. & Mrs. Bridge" is a most remarkable film that can be greatly enjoyed by any intelligent person over age 25; I doubt many younger folks would have matured enough to appreciate the subtleties of the characters, their situations, and their relationships. And in the end, that's all this film is about.

Movie Review: Calm, Touching Work
Summary: 4 Stars

Paul Newman brings the wonderful Evan Connell novels to the screen. These could not have been easy novels to turn into cinema, as they are episodic and span thirty years or more in the life of this family. Joanne Woodward steals the show as the repressed housewife of the title, doomed to a country-club life in far-off Kansas City with an emotionally-distant husband. She wants what is best for her children, but cannot see past convention and the style of the day. Her humanity rings through, though, as when she buys a subscription to "Doberman Magazine", just to help out the poor art teacher who appears at her door to solicit her. A movie that shows how fine acting will carry you along, even when very little is happening.