Adventures From My Netflix Queue: Intermezzo

broderic on November 26, 2007

In 1939, the producer, David O. Selznick released a quaint little melodrama,Intermezzo. It’s not a well known movie, but only has a small value as being the film to introduce Ingrid Bergman to Hollywood.

Intermezzo was at first a film from Sweden. David O. Selznick saw it, bought the rights to have it remade in America, and signed its star, Ingrid Bergman, to a contract. She would play the young ingenue pianist who captures the heart of the violin virtuoso, Hulger Brandt, and breaks up his marriage. They gallivant around Europe as a duo both on the stage and in the hearts. Yet, she has regrets. Regrets about how she is the other woman. Regrets about separating Hulger from his family especially his young daughter. Regrets about putting on hold her piano studies.

She leaves him and he returns to his family. Complications ensue as he does eventually reconcile with his estranged son, wife and daughter. It’s a happy ending or at least less bitter than he deserves.

As I said, it was a swedish film at first. Watching it you can’t but help feeling the foreignness of the film. It’s pacing seemed all wrong for Hollywood. And even more un-Hollywood is its plot. “Man leaves wife and kids for a young hottie” just doesn’t seem to have been a regular plot of a 1939 film. Especially, that it is played as drama. I can imagine this being a film noir, but not in the bright days of 1939 Hollywood.

But Ingrid Bergman is so radiant in it. Very young looking. Only 23 at the time. She was still a little unsure of her English accent, but she manages to make her english charming. Oh, how beautiful she is in this film. Here’s a screen capture from her entrance. This is what early stardom looked like.

3 of 5 stars.

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

broderic on November 26, 2007

Awesome! Can’t wait until March for it to return? Or if ever because of the writer’s strike.

What was the most interesting revelation?

I thought it was the return of the original Cylon centurions and the raiders. Did they ever show them before?

Blad Runner Final Cut

broderic on November 17, 2007

Blade Runner has many different prints out there one for tv, the original theatrical release, the 1991 so-called “director’s cut,” and now the 2007 so-called “director’s cut” or Final Cut.

Caught this at the new Landmark theatres in downtown Bmore. It’s a digital theatre chain specializing in digital projection. It’s just like your projection style home theatre system but with a 60 ft screen.

Blade Runner is a classic. What more can be said? It’s slow pace drives you loopy, but that’s what’s cool about it. Considering all the movies that descended from this one, it’s amazing how slow the pace is. No frenetic here.

4 of 5 stars.

Alicia Huberman

broderic on November 16, 2007

If you’re near a tv, turn to TMC. Hitchcock’s Notorious is on. This is his early classic starring Cary grant and Ingrid Bergman. It’s a favorite.

Hush hush

broderic on November 14, 2007

Not posting much.

Can’t figure out what to say.

I’m sorry to my regular readers.

I’ll try to get better, but school work is making me anxious.

TTL 🙂

Love in the Time of Cholera

broderic on November 10, 2007

Lance Mannion, my favorite blog writer, writes of missed opportunity at the bookstore. Loved the tale. Once again, he shows how compelling a writer he is always provocative and provoking of thinking from his readers.

I spend lots of my time in bookstores. Friday and Saturday nights or Sunday days perhaps just hoping for some kind of missed opportunity as well. Very little is left to chance and as it so happens it’s happened very little to me.

Except today, I was in the BN burning off a coupon for 60% off an item (Ken Burn’s Jazz for only $72!). I pay for my purchase. The girl ringing me up says as she hands me the bag, “You know you’re handsome.”

Uhh, thanks?!?.

And I walk away.

It brings me back to Lance Mannion’s post. Missed opportunity?

Maybe. I haven’t flirted with a girl in a long time. Was this even flirting? Did she say it as a statement of fact? Or was this something else? I am probably flattering myself, but I don’t ever remember a girl tell me something like that. Just one of those things I guess.