On M List of Movie Reviews
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Mildred Pierce (1945)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
4/14
4/14:
And the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role goes to...............Joan Crawford's mink coat!
Mildred Pierce is a misnomer as it should be called Veda Pierce. At the same time, the mother is incorrectly
labeled as the femme fatale when it's her daughter who was. Joan Crawford was, in reality, a poor actress. She displays
a lot of typical qualities that are fitting for a soap opera star. That's why her films aren't appealing.
Meanwhile, Mildred Pierce has a slow start with plenty of hammy acting, is sometimes filled with longueurs, and contains several
far-fetched ideas such as the immediate success of Mildred the entrepreneur. It's also predictable because, after a bit
while of getting know to the rules of the game, the twist is easy to spot.
By the way, if you noticed the house on the precipice by the oceanfront, it was owned by Michael Curtiz which apparently
sank into the Pacific Ocean in 1983. There's an iconic image of Joan Crawford in white dress holding up a revolver.
Yet it never happened in the film. So, why bother showing it?
All in all, Mildred Pierce is worth watching once, but I have a feeling that my reaction will be more negative the next
time I see it.