1940 romantic comedyRating: 16/20 (Jen: 17/20)
Plot: I really messed up on this one. I thought for sure I was about to watch Little Shop of Horrors around the Corner, the infamous film where Jimmy Stewart is repeatedly violated by a giant flower. Unfortunately, this has almost the exact same plot as You've Got Mail with Jimmy Stewart inventing the Internet and courting Margaret Sullavan through electronic mail.
OK, wait a minute. This takes place in Hungary? I didn't buy Jimmy Stewart as a teenager in It's a Wonderful Life, and I don't think he's very convincing as a Hungarian either. Despite that, I really like him in this. I don't always like him as much as some people, but he's got the right amount of charm and fragility in this to create a character that is very real within this kind of ludicrous situation. All of the performances are actually very good--co-star Sullavan, Frank Morgan (the Wizard) as the shop owner, the other employees in the little shop. Contrary to what Jennifer thinks, this is world's better than the Ryan/Hanks remake. It hasn't dated at all, and it doesn't manipulate the audience like modern romantic comedies seem to do. I can understand why this has been remade. It's a good story, and I did enjoy seeing it executed with grace and subtlety.
I agree that Morgan makes a better Hungarian than either Stewart or Sullivan, but that it doesn't really matter. This film is so full of gentle charm and light humor ("the Lubitsch touch") that it is one of my favorite "films that nobody has heard of". There is great chemistry between Stewart and Sullivan (probably because he had the hots for her in real life). I also think this is miles better than "You've Got Mail", though most films are. An 18.
ReplyDeleteNice oblique shot at "It's a Wonderful Life", by the way.
Why Hungary? Is it because it's based on a story from a Hungarian author? Is it?
ReplyDeleteAny shot at 'It's a Wonderful Life' was purely accidental.
I'd heard of this movie, of course, but probably only because of 'You've Got Mail'...not that that remake made me immediately rush out and find 'Little Shop,' but I guess that's one good thing about the remake, right?