On M List of Movie Reviews

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Madame X (1966)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 4/25

MadameX
4/25: "You have to be the most beautiful woman in the world."

Yeah, duh...her name is Lana Turner. There are lots of versions of Madame X, but this is the only one I've seen. Lana Turner gives a top five performance of her career and gets to wear nice clothes, designed by Jean Louis, at the beginning. What a surprise that she wasn't given an Oscar nomination. You won't see her looking so unglamorous or ugly in any other film.

It's unique story. There are slight differences compared to Alexandre Bisson's play, but the structure remains the same. I was hoping that the son would discover the irony at the end with his father confirming the truth, but nothing came of it. No matter what, the whole thing is fine as it is.

If there's anything to be let down by the film, it's emotionally underwhelming. The director should've tried hard to coax more out of his cast apart from Lana Turner. Then again, who the hell is David Lowell Rich? When Burgess Meredith showed up, the energy was back after it felt low for a while. The cinematography is okay, but producer Ross Hunter should've tried harder to get Douglas Sirk and his team to reach for that oomph.

All in all, Lana Turner continues to be an underrated actress, and Madame X is among her best films.