Anne v Monty


I realize Anne was three years younger than Monty but I can't help feeling she's too old to be his romantic interest in I Confess. Maybe it's the hair and clothing that age her.

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Part of the reason I found the film unsatisfying was the lack of chemistry between Clift and Baxter. I admit I've never much cared for Anne Baxter's performances, and the two of them just plain don't make a convincing couple in the flashback scenes, as well as having no sparks in the main storyline - I know he's become a priest, but it might have helped the story to have some underlying attraction still brewing. The basic dilemma was interesting, but I felt it just fell flat, with too little tension and unconvincing action.

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Anne Baxter wasn't supposed to be in this movie.

The director had set his sights on a nubile, gamine, free-living blond Swede named Anita Björk but she had a problem (see Google).

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Miss Bjork may have been the better choice . . . Miss Baxter does have a maturity that is not suited for the relationship . . . it never really takes off . . . unless that's what they wanted . . . a one-sided relationship, with her going hopelessly after the man she loves, and he showing no real interest, in fact, on his part, there is no relationship . . . something as that . . .

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Anne Baxter looked like a woman who'd experienced conjugality, fornication and pregnancy.
Monty looked like a teenage virgin youth who'd never even touched a woman.

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This movie came out only three years after All About Eve, but Anne Baxter looks 12 years older in it!

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I thought Montgomery Clift never looked more gorgeous than in this movie.

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I concur the chemistry comment by a user above. The lack of chemistry between the two leads was my main problem with this movie. Hitchcock might've gotten frustrated with Cliff's method acting, but he focused on the wrong thing to rectify.

One day in the year of the fox came a time remembered well...

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I think Joan Fontaine would've been a good choice for Anne's role, plus it would've been interesting to see her sparring with Brian Aherne, her ex in real life.

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Good comments everyone. I agree that the two principles never seem convincing, although that scene where they hide from the rain does try hard to show some intimacy, also that scene when she walks down the stairs! Too subtle a film overall, needed more depth.

RSGRE

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