Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2442. The Lady Eve (1941)

    2442. The Lady Eve (1941)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on January 31, 2019 1941, 6 - 7.9, 90-99 mins, Comedy, Drama, Jan 19, Movies Of 2019, Review, Romance, United States
    7.5 Pleasant, but a little far-fetched
    • Acting 7.8
    • Directing 7.5
    • Story 7.3
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn

    Director: Preston Sturges

    Running Time: 93 mins


    The Lady Eve is an American film about a team of card scammers who target a wealthy but awkward heir to a major corporation, however the plan hits a roadblock when one of their number falls in love with the mark.

    I love a good screwball comedy, and The Lady Eve is a film that starts with all the best parts of a great screwball, with two dynamite performances from Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, an intriguing and equally comical dynamic between the leads, and consistently good humour, all of which makes for a really entertaining watch. However, the film takes a real turn just past the halfway point, and it’s something I found a little difficult to go with, leaving the final act a rather ridiculous and underwhelming affair.

    Let’s start off on the bright side, with the film’s thoroughly entertaining first act, centring on the growing romance between a card scammer and her wealthy mark, with the brilliant farce of a man being fleeced while he falls in love with the perpetrator proving a hugely enjoyable centre for the story to start off on, and opening the gates for all sorts of comedic mishaps.

    In that, The Lady Eve gets off to a really funny start, and in similarly frantic fashion to the likes of Bringing Up Baby, the beginning of the main relationship is all a bit of a whirlwind, further emphasising just how weak Fonda’s character is in comparison to Stanwyck’s, and how close he is to being completely taken for as he falls for her like a simple puppy.

    The two lead performances are of course the key to what makes the opening act so entertaining, as if there were ever a female lead to take the screwball genre to the extreme, then Barbara Stanwyck is certainly the best of all, with a strong and energetic performance that plays brilliantly alongside Fonda’s likable and enjoyably weak turn, setting up that classic screwball dynamic in perfect fashion as the comedy and romantic chaos begins to kick off.

    For the best part of forty or fifty minutes, I had a whole lot of fun with The Lady Eve, as it proves a likably romantic and hilariously frantic watch right from the start, with those two central performances really standing out and making for a thoroughly entertaining watch.

    However, at that point, there’s a dramatic shift in the entire dynamic of the film, breaking a little with typical screwball formula as things get a little more out of control, with Stanwyck and Fonda’s relationship completely transforming to an extent that’s just not all that convincing.

    Now, the screwball genre isn’t a stranger to a bit of suspension of disbelief, and I didn’t mind seeing a bit of a change to the formula from this film, but the story unfortunately takes a path that’s just far too ridiculous for even a genre as silly and fun-loving as this, and with the characters responding and acting in a way that’s a little too far-fetched, all the delightful fun and intrigue of the opening act grounds to a halt, leaving for a less-than-impressive finale.

    Overall, I had a lot of fun with The Lady Eve, at least at first. Over its first half, it’s a hugely entertaining screwball comedy that gets pretty much everything about the genre right, with good humour, romance and performances. However, with a misguided and slightly ridiculous twists midway through, the film stutters to a disappointing ending, and unfortunately fails to continue the brilliant form of its opening half, which is why I’m giving it a 7.5.

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.2
    Review
    May 14, 20150

    958. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

    8.1
    Review
    February 11, 20150

    853. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

    8.0
    Review
    February 28, 20200

    2870. The Invisible Man (2020)

    8.3
    Review
    May 18, 20210

    3350. Minari (2020)

    8.5
    Review
    December 4, 20130

    371. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.