MovieChat Forums > Bells Are Ringing Discussion > Just a couple problems...

Just a couple problems...

posted 17 years ago by oopsydaisy
5 replies | jump to latest

Well, I must start by saying there was only one reason for me watching this movie-Dean Martin. As a big Martin fan, I saw this and rented it.
I liked the movie a lot until it got close to the end. I found Ella to be such a flimsy and lenient character, it really ruined the movie for me. She was so convinced that Jeff was in love with "Melisande" she sang a
(in my opinion-very badly written) song about it, then Martin comes in and in about ten seconds convinces her that he loves her! And I thought that whole scene was written badly!
The way he says it, "You have too much love, don't scatter it everywhere! Give it to me! I want it! I need it!" It was so bad I cringed. Not even Dean Martin could make this character look good.
And immediatly after that wonderful pitch, Ella just agrees and is all in love again. I am sorry to say it, but it was a waste of my time.

~There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure~

[–] Harold_Robbins 17 years ago

My main problem with this movie is lackadaisical Dean Martin - the rest of the problems (such as its "MGM-soundstage look" and rather static photography - I mean, that camera is just planted, and there are few cuts or closeups - almost everything's in medium or long-shots) I can overlook, but every time he appears on-screen I want to fast-forward. By the way, talk about a phoned-in performance: most of his dialog seems to have been post-synchronized.

Regrettably, the Freed Unit, Minnelli, and the MGM Musical all ran out of steam here.

Edit 01/03/08: Admittedly, Jeff isn't much of a role, and Sydney Chaplin was probably equally unenthralling in the stage version, although I think it got him a Supporting Actor Tony. But there's just something so oily and phony about Dean Martin, which doesn't help.

"I don't use a pen: I write with a goose quill dipped in venom!"---W. Lydecker

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] bravo78 11 years ago

It's a mediocre movie at best but I didn't have so much a problem with Dino as Holliday. I give Dino a pass because I expect, and don't mind, his bachelor schtick. As for Judy, granted she didn't have great musical material and a lousy wardrobe (I don't usually pay attention to the wardrobe aspect of movies but hers was exceptionally poor) but I found her performance lacked chemistry with the other actors.

Agreed on the poor writing though. I gave it a 6/10 for some ok songs and a fairly engaging story. Also neat to see Jean Stapleton in a pre-AitF role.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Tjcat 15 years ago

Amen to oopsydaisy !
What a bomb.
What a waste of time.
What a waste of Dean Martin !