"talk to me..."

I just went out today and bought the final film I needed to now own all four of Bogie & Baby's films (not including the TV movie) they made together, Dark Passage. However, I also wanted a more recent film because in my quest of all things Bacall, I feel I haven't seen enough of her more recent work (I feel I haven't seen enough of her work period actually, but I'm working on that!). So, having recently listened to her once again talk about her experience making The Mirror Has Two Faces, and being an admirer of Barbra Streisand's work also, I decided to add that film to my collection.

First of all, the DVD was intriguing to me because while the outside looked professional and normal, the DVD itself looks homemade with no real menu - it's kind of hilarious. Believe it or not, the movie was kind of hard to track down. Virgin Megastore didn't have it (though their selection isn't quite as up to par for me lately as I once believed it to be) and Borders had one copy in the "Drama" section. However, the fact that I found that copy at all still makes it easier to find than The African Queen...I've yet to fathom how no stores carry that movie. Anyway, the version I have is fullscreen only - a bit annoying at times because of obvious reasons. Especially in the scene where Gregory has rejected Rose - there were moments when her face got cut off, and her expressions were the most meaningful and vital to that scene - and really, to a huge part of the whole film.

I liked the movie - it was sweet and not predictable like your average "romantic comedy." Well, I should say not as predictable - of course the guy still gets the girl (or in this case it's more of girl gets the guy!), but the journey had more unexpected twists and turns. Lauren Bacall had a smaller role than I was imagining, but I definitely think she deserved her Academy Award nomination. As Hannah she was funny - the perfect impossible mother - but she also brought a whole other dimension to the character. When Rose went back to her mother's apartment after Gregory's rejection, I was waiting for a tearful "mother daughter moment" - for Hannah to take her daughter in her arms and say, "I did always think you were beautiful - you are beautiful..." blah blah blah. But that would have been so unrealistic. Instead, there was the breakfast table scene - Hannah admits to Rose she is jealous of her because she never loved someone the way she loves Gregory. And she does something better than just tell Rose she's beautiful...she makes her believe in herself. Hannah could have been a very typical, not very likable, one dimensional "mom" - but in this scene Bacall makes the audience feel for her, understand her better. And I definitely think it's the turning point moment of the film - more so than the rejection scene before. 

I liked the ending very much, even though that part was absolutely predictable - I kept waiting after Rose's first class lecture on love for Puccini to play somewhere! But I thought having the unknown apartment neighbor playing the record & singing was such a nice way to do it. After all, Gregory didn't believe in the idea of love from the movies - he even says how ridiculous it is to hear music when you kiss someone. It's not entirely unbelievable for someone in NY to start playing romantic music when they see two people in love outside and I like how Rose & Gregory never could figure out where it was coming from. And I agree - I think we all really should hear Puccini when we're in love - it's perfect.