Mr. & Mrs. Smith
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Movie Reviews of Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Movie Review: Dated by today's comedy standards, but very worthwhile for old-time comedy buffs or movie historians.
Summary: 3 Stars
This review is for the 2004 Warner Brothers DVD.
This was Hitchcock's first and last attempt of directing a comedy. 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' is a comical farce about a married couple named Anne (Carole Lombard) and David Smith (Robert Montgomery) who clearly have some relationship issues since Anne has an established pattern of spending days at a time in bed anytime she has a disagreement with her husband. After making up from their latest tiff, Anne asks David, "If given the chance to go back in time would you marry me again"? His instant response is "No", but then realizes he's made a terrible gaff and unsuccessfully tries to cover his tracks, but at least does enough damage control to keep them together. Shortly after David learns that through a legal snafu, their marriage is void. When Anne learns about this legal wrinkle, she separates and this sets up a cat and mouse game between the two seeing if they can salvage their relationship.
As much as I like Hitchcock and Carole Lombard, both Hollywood legends in their own right, I can't say this movie worked magic for me. I do know that films like this were very popular in their day, but I didn't find any of it laugh-out-loud funny, although some of scenes put a smile on my face. I did like the slice of life look of the film as it showed many interesting backdrops including several original interior shots plus scenes at an amusement park and a ski resort. If you like screwball comedies from this era, you will probably be very entertained with the film. If you don't like that type of humor, or hope to find lots of Hitchcock's creative artistry and cinematic brilliance, you will probably be disappointed with the film.
The B&W picture quality of this DVD is sharp and crisp but tiny specs of film deterioration showed up sporadically throughout the movie. The sound was very satisfactory for a film this old. The only bonus on the DVD is a short commentary about the film.
Movie: C
DVD Quality: B+
Movie Review: ODDBALL COMEDY FROM HITCHCOCK
Summary: 3 Stars
At this writing, the new big screen theatrical release of the same name has generated spiked interest in Hitchcock's only overt comedy, MR. AND MRS. SMITH (Warner).
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's marital dilemma has some parallels in the slightly twisted premise of a bickering couple who discover they are not legally married. And this after she asks him: "Honey, if you had it to do all over again, would you marry me?" And he says smugly: "No."
Oops, wrong answer!
They can't live with each other and then discover they can't live without eachother since they have one big thing in common: they both love arguing and fighting.
If you look carefully, there are sly Hitchcock touches throughout the film. I especially liked the scene where Carole Lombard shaves Robert Montgomery with an old fashioned straight edge blade. Although it was a scene about trust, for me it foreshadowed "Psycho."
In an interview Hitchcock suggested he didn't really understand the script, he just aimed his camera and filmed the actors saying the lines. That is pure Hitchcock at his subversive best.
The sound is clear and the transfer looks great in gleaming black and white.
But where is Hitchcok's cameo? Did he stay out of frame on this one?
Movie Review: Being Married..Yet Not Married...and Starting All Over Again
Summary: 3 Stars
In a candid moment, Mr. Smith tells his wife that, had he to do it over again, he would not marry her. He says that this doesn't mean that he would like to marry someone else: He simply would enjoy the life of the bachelor again.
By a freak of the law, it turns out that their 3-year marriage is legally invalid. To him, this is simply a matter of the formality of a new marriage. To her, however, this is a chance to dump him and find someone new. Or so it seems...
Mr. Smith is told by another man that it is "really bad" when the man is forced out of his house for two nights instead of just one. Mrs. Smith reverts to her maiden name, and starts dating other men. He follows her around, trying to persuade her that he loves her and would want to marry her anew. He says that his very pursuit of her proves that he loves her and wants her. But she remains aloof and resistant. Some viewers may see in Mrs. Smith a portrayal of women as fickle, impossible to please, unable to make up their minds, and even flippant and childish.
And so it goes. Will Mr. and Mrs. Smith ever get back together again?
This flick has obvious old-fashioned themes: huge cars, smoking in public and on film, women discouraged from working outside the home if they are unmarried, etc.
Movie Review: The queen of screwball comedy meets Hitchcock
Summary: 3 Stars
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard) have a marriage with many ups and downs. One day at the office Mr. Smith finds out that he is not legally married. Surprise Mrs. Smith finds out also and waits for Mr. Smith to propose the make it legal. Some how he forgets to do this and drives her into the arms of his friend and partner.
Why won't the cat eat the soup?
How will all this turn out?
This formula was popular in the time the movie was made. This version is a tad more complex but still is necessary to suspend reality. We do get a good look at the 1939 Worlds Fair. Carole Lombard is not quits as noisy. Robert Montgomery is good at almost slapstick situations.
Movie Review: HITCHCOCK'S RARE MISS
Summary: 1 Stars
Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest directors of all time and probably my personal favorite. I have found genius in every movie he has ever done, except for this one. Mr. and Mrs. Smith creates characters that come across more evil than misunderstood with the exception of Mr. Smith. He is misunderstood and his life is turned upside down over it, so you do feel for him. However, the other two main characters in the movie, Mrs. Smith and his best friend, are the type of people you don't want in your life. Unfortunately for Mr. Smith, these are the two most important people in his life, two people that selfishly drop him like a bad habit for their own selfish motives. Mrs. Smith is never even in love with the friend, yet she is willing to marry him. Had Mrs. Smith been made an antagonist, I probably could have loved this film. Instead we are to hope for her happiness as well.
I am also a big fan of Angelina Jolie, so when I heard about a remake of a Hitchcock classic I had never seen, I was excited. I held off watching this one til I saw the new Jolie/Pitt version, which made no difference as they were nothing alike. The new movie was an extremely enjoyable film. It was meant to be sexy, fun, and absurd, and it worked on all three levels. Hitchcock's movie worked on none of these levels. And I have found more comedy in most of his suspense movies. It also lacked the sarcastic element of The Trouble With Harry, which could have made this a far better movie. And it lacked a couple that you rooted for in the end like most great romance comedies. If there was a comedic or romantic element to get here, I guess I didn't get it.