Min and Bill

Certainly rough around the edges, the early sound work is as you'd expect and similarly there are some poor editing choices; but then again, if you're watching this movie, you're likely watching it for Marie Dressler, who I'm happy to say certainly doesn't disappoint. You can tell she's had a long career on the stage and in silent films: she certainly has broad moments, but they're very well done, and not unreasonable, and there are so many subtleties too that only come from experience and a deep understanding of the character. I can't imagine today's Academy awarding Best Actress to a woman in her 60s for a largely comedic performance, though there are certainly more factors to it than that. I'm glad she got to have this career resurgence, and that she was honored for this performance, especially knowing she would pass away so soon after. I wish we could've seen more of her work; she really does shine.

Also, I'm a sucker for a mother watching her estranged daughter's wedding from afar (see: Stella Dallas)

Certainly rough around the edges, the early sound work is as you'd expect and similarly there are some poor editing choices; but then again, if you're watching this movie, you're likely watching it for Marie Dressler, who I'm happy to say certainly doesn't disappoint. You can tell she's had a long career on the stage and in silent films: she certainly has broad moments, but they're very well done, and not unreasonable, and there are so many subtleties too that only come from experience and a deep understanding of the character. I can't imagine today's Academy awarding Best Actress to a woman in her 60s for a largely comedic performance, though there are certainly more factors to it than that. I'm glad she got to have this career resurgence, and that she was honored for this performance, especially knowing she would pass away so soon after. I wish we could've seen more of her work; she really does shine.

Also, I'm a sucker for a mother watching her estranged daughter's wedding from afar (see: Stella Dallas)

"trop idiot pour être malhonnête" c'est trop une vibe que j'aimerais dégagerMarie Dressler elle est méga cool je la connaissais pas du tout eh bah elle brille comme un soleil 🌞 #rouge

"trop idiot pour être malhonnête" c'est trop une vibe que j'aimerais dégagerMarie Dressler elle est méga cool je la connaissais pas du tout eh bah elle brille comme un soleil 🌞 #rouge

For someone who normally doesn't take to the transition era of Hollywood from silent to sound, where pictures were stagier and lost the visual expression of silent filmmaking, this was surprisingly quite good! Not because it broke those conventions but because there were enough good elements throughout it that I didn't mind the presence of staginess. Above all, Marie Dressler is the knockout performance of the picture. I watched this film in relation to my undergrad thesis and one article described her appeal in the film as a mythic body that represented maternal love and sternness in the Great Depression. She is so endearing throughout in a performance that blends the slapstick comedy she was known for in her Sennett days with the melodrama that would cement her lead box-office status at the beginning of the 1930s. Wallace Beery also does well playing against Dressler's mother as a sort of childish fisherman. The film also plays with what was a brief and weird line of films about mothers sacrificing themselves for their children's future (Madame X, Sarah and Son, etc.). Also that fighting scene is incredible just from a performance standpoint!

For someone who normally doesn't take to the transition era of Hollywood from silent to sound, where pictures were stagier and lost the visual expression of silent filmmaking, this was surprisingly quite good! Not because it broke those conventions but because there were enough good elements throughout it that I didn't mind the presence of staginess. Above all, Marie Dressler is the knockout performance of the picture. I watched this film in relation to my undergrad thesis and one article described her appeal in the film as a mythic body that represented maternal love and sternness in the Great Depression. She is so endearing throughout in a performance that blends the slapstick comedy she was known for in her Sennett days with the melodrama that would cement her lead box-office status at the beginning of the 1930s. Wallace Beery also does well playing against Dressler's mother as a sort of childish fisherman. The film also plays with what was a brief and weird line of films about mothers sacrificing themselves for their children's future (Madame X, Sarah and Son, etc.). Also that fighting scene is incredible just from a performance standpoint!

One of those rare occasions where the film could have benefited from 30 minutes extra of runtime. It’s a simple story but Min’s relationship with both Nancy and Bill should have gotten more depth. Marie Dressler’s awarded performance falls on the final shot of the movie and it’s appropriate and powerful enough for the wrap up of the story, but still I can’t help but feel it’s half a movie. I wish I could have seen Nancy’s reaction to her adoptive mother’s sacrifices and more of the singular relationship of the eponymous characters.

Talkies were still relatively new and I firmly believe this was originally conceived as a silent film. If that’s right it would honestly explain a lot.

One of those rare occasions where the film could have benefited from 30 minutes extra of runtime. It’s a simple story but Min’s relationship with both Nancy and Bill should have gotten more depth. Marie Dressler’s awarded performance falls on the final shot of the movie and it’s appropriate and powerful enough for the wrap up of the story, but still I can’t help but feel it’s half a movie. I wish I could have seen Nancy’s reaction to her adoptive mother’s sacrifices and more of the singular relationship of the eponymous characters.

Talkies were still relatively new and I firmly believe this was originally conceived as a silent film. If that’s right it would honestly explain a lot.